Kauaʻi residents seek state’s help to preserve affordable housing

Housing advocates said the state could help the residents by providing financing for a nonprofit developer, which would bring rents back down to affordable levels.

Under this scenario, rents would revert back to $1,300 for a one-bedroom unit and $1,900 for a three-bedroom apartment, said Kenna StormoGipson, director of housing policy with the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center arm of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice.

“What needs to be done is we need public money in housing. That is really the only way to preserve affordability,” said StormoGipson.