Bills propose more housing on smaller lots

Supporters of the legislation claim that smaller homes on smaller lots produced in new or existing residential subdivisions will be much more affordable given the high cost of land and construction in Hawaiʻi.

“The current one-size fits all approach to single-family zoning does not reflect the needs of Hawaii’s people,” the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice said in written testimony. “By providing more options in our housing market Hawai‘i can relieve price pressure on the private market and prevent the displacement of long-standing residents and ensure that Hawai‘i remains accessible to the diverse range of housing prices and forms needed.”

Amanda Wilson, a Maui single mother and condominium owner, said in written testimony that she is trying to buy a larger home so her mother can move in, but faces unaffordable choices such as a century-old plantation house for $800,000 needing renovation.

“Like many middle and low income residents of Maui, I am in a lurch when it comes to housing,” Wilson said. “Passing this bill and other(s) like it that reform the codes to allow for more housing to be built is imperative. Without it, I imagine everyone who is not in the top 5-10 percent of earners that has not already bought a home will eventually be pushed off the island.”