New report outlines eviction reduction strategies to keep Hawaiʻi housed
The high cost of evictions in Hawaiʻi warrants legislative action based on best practices outlined in new report.
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — In a newly released report detailing the high, community-wide cost of evictions, the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC) explores the major public and social costs of evictions on low-income families, key interventions made to reduce the incidence of eviction during the COVID-19 pandemic, and potential policy interventions at the state level that can reduce the incidence of eviction for Hawaiʻi renters going forward.
“Safe, stable, affordable housing is a cornerstone of good health, economic prosperity and educational attainment,” said Will White, HBPC director. “However, far too many Hawaiʻi renters are at risk of losing their housing through eviction because of the significant costs associated with housing. This widespread instability is fueling the state’s homelessness crisis and increasing rates of outmigration to the continent.”
“Keeping Hawaiʻi Housed” builds on the success of Hawaiʻi’s COVID-19 eviction protections; HBPC recommends the state:
Create a permanent rent relief program coupled with mediation services that can resolve rent disputes before they enter the courts.
Replicate the pre-trial eviction mediation requirements implemented by Hawaiʻi’s Act 57 pilot program.
Implement stronger renter protections in the form of a just cause eviction law that will provide additional security for renters in Hawaiʻi’s high-cost rental market.
Current legislation moving through the Hawaiʻi State Legislature would implement the first two recommendations in the report. HB1439 HD2 would establish and appropriate funds for a pre-litigation mediation pilot program and require landlords to participate in mediation before filing an action for summary possession. The measure also creates and appropriates funds for an emergency rent relief program.
“Lack of stable housing is often associated with poor health outcomes, including higher levels of chronic stress, increased incidence of chronic conditions like obesity and heart disease, and higher incidences of Adverse Childhood Experiences for families with children,” said Francoise Culley-Trotman, AlohaCare chief executive officer. “These outcomes have significant financial and social costs that are borne by us all.”
To prevent a wave of evictions that could have occurred due to financial hardship from the COVID-19 pandemic, federal, state and local authorities across the country enacted eviction moratoriums that kept millions of renters housed during the heights of the pandemic, and billions of dollars have been invested in Emergency Rental Assistance through congressional appropriation. But nearly all those protections have either expired, or have had their funds significantly spent down. The City & County of Honolulu closed applications for rental assistance on June 30, 2022.
As the COVID-19 renter protections and assistance programs evaporate, renters in Hawaiʻi are once again facing increased challenges in maintaining stable housing. For working families with low incomes, this pressure is particularly acute, as a higher percentage of monthly income is required for these families to remain stably housed. This instability increases the likelihood of experiencing a sudden loss of housing, or exposure to the many negative health outcomes associated with a lack of good housing.
In addition to rent relief and landlord-tenant mediation, “Keeping Hawaiʻi Housed” also notes existing “Just Cause Eviction” laws in other jurisdictions from which Hawaiʻi could borrow to further strengthen tenants’ protections and limit the harm caused by evictions.
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The Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC) is a program of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice. HBPC’s mission is to ensure that our state and local economic policies increase opportunity for all residents. We do this by analyzing and understanding the implications of tax and budget decisions and making sure that the public and policy-makers are informed through strategic communications, coalitions, and key partners. Our work is guided by the belief that government at all levels should play an active role in helping people reach their full potential.
Founded in 1994 by Hawaiʻi’s community health centers, AlohaCare is a community-rooted, nonprofit health plan serving over 80,000 Medicaid and dually eligible Medicare members on all islands. Our mission is to serve individuals and communities in the true spirit of aloha by providing and advocating for access to quality health care for all. “Keeping Hawaiʻi Housed” was supported with funding from AlohaCare.
