Editorial: Hope on horizon for more housing

State Sen. Stanley Chang’s “Aloha Homes” proposal to build leasehold condos on state- and county-owned land—a high-concentration project modeled after one in Singapore—did not fare so well in the legislature this year. A study by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice found it unfeasible for Hawaiʻi, as leasehold properties lose value over time. Nevertheless, some version of this vision to create dense, urban homes on public land should be pursued, as soon as the next session.

Hawaiʻi will be getting $2.8 billion in federal infrastructure funding in the coming years—and this can be leveraged to reduce the cost of developing affordable housing.

To see any progress made in providing stable housing for those most in need is encouraging. We need more of that. We also need state- and county-funded projects to fill the many gaps.

In the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaiʻi” webcast Monday, Gov. David Ige said seeing planned affordable housing projects through on a statewide basis was a primary focus as he winds up his final year in office. Should he sign these major pieces of legislation to fund affordable housing, residents struggling to keep a roof over their heads might see real relief in this decade.