Taylor​ ​Tanahashi
Leigh​ ​Dooley
Eng​ ​100
March​ ​13,​ ​2017
Affordable​ ​Housing​ ​in​ ​Hawaii
In​ ​Hawaii,​ ​it’s​ ​no​ ​surprise​ ​that​ ​it’s​ ​difficult​ ​to​ ​find​ ​affordable​ ​housing,​ ​especially​ ​for
those​ ​in​ ​and​ ​below​ ​middle​ ​class.​ ​Hawaii’s​ ​rent​ ​and​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​housing​ ​continue​ ​to​ ​grow​ ​with​ ​little
remedy.​ ​“One​ ​in​ ​six​ ​Hawaii​ ​residents​ ​live​ ​in​ ​poverty,”​ ​Nicole​ ​Woo,​ ​a​ ​senior​ ​policy​ ​analyst​ ​with
the​ ​Hawaii​ ​Appleseed​ ​Center,​ ​quotes.​ ​“We​ ​can​ ​see​ ​it​ ​on​ ​our​ ​streets.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​folks​ ​who
don’t​ ​make​ ​ends​ ​meet.”​ ​Hawaii’s​ ​population​ ​is​ ​at​ ​roughly​ ​1.42​ ​million.​ ​If​ ​one​ ​in​ ​six​ ​Hawaii
residents​ ​live​ ​in​ ​poverty,​ ​that​ ​means​ ​there​ ​are​ ​nearly​ ​236,667​ ​residents​ ​struggling​ ​to​ ​make​ ​it​ ​by.
(6)​ ​With​ ​current​ ​costs​ ​for​ ​rent​ ​and​ ​living​ ​expenses​ ​being​ ​so​ ​high,​ ​it’s​ ​no​ ​surprise​ ​that​ ​many​ ​of
Hawaii’s​ ​residents​ ​are​ ​facing​ ​difficulties​ ​with​ ​nowhere​ ​to​ ​turn​ ​if​ ​their​ ​situations​ ​go​ ​south.
Currently,​ ​the​ ​average​ ​cost​ ​of​ ​a​ ​two-bedroom​ ​apartment​ ​is​ ​about​ ​$1,640​ ​a​ ​month.​ ​For
owners​ ​with​ ​mortgages,​ ​the​ ​median​ ​cost​ ​is​ ​around​ ​$2,248.​ ​The​ ​average​ ​cost​ ​to​ ​purchase​ ​a
condominium​ ​starts​ ​off​ ​around​ ​$566,900​ ​and​ ​up.​ ​Homes​ ​in​ ​Hawaii​ ​are​ ​also​ ​worth​ ​nearly​ ​$1
million​ ​dollars​ ​or​ ​more,​ ​with​ ​some​ ​being​ ​worth​ ​$2​ ​million.​ ​(4,​ ​6)​ ​All​ ​of​ ​this​ ​makes​ ​Hawaii
number​ ​one​ ​in​ ​median​ ​housing​ ​value,​ ​top​ ​in​ ​median​ ​gross​ ​rent,​ ​and​ ​third​ ​for​ ​owners​ ​with
mortgages​ ​in​ ​the​ ​U.S.​ ​(5)​ ​On​ ​top​ ​of​ ​rent​ ​and​ ​mortgages,​ ​residents​ ​need​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​living​ ​expenses
like​ ​food,​ ​health​ ​insurance,​ ​and​ ​transportation.​ ​Those​ ​who​ ​live​ ​in​ ​Hawaii​ ​understand​ ​that​ ​the​ ​cost
of​ ​living​ ​is​ ​no​ ​joke​ ​when​ ​topped​ ​with​ ​expensive​ ​housing.​ ​There​ ​are​ ​a​ ​number​ ​of​ ​issues​ ​that
contributing​ ​issues​ ​that​ ​make​ ​affordable​ ​housing​ ​difficult​ ​in​ ​Hawaii,​ ​from​ ​low​ ​minimum​ ​wages,
little​ ​affordable​ ​and​ ​low​ ​income​ ​housing,​ ​and​ ​more.
Hawaii’s​ ​low​ ​minimum​ ​wages​ ​are​ ​a​ ​detrimental​ ​factor​ ​towards​ ​finding​ ​affordable
housing.​ ​Since​ ​2007,​ ​only​ ​until​ ​2015​ ​when​ ​wages​ ​finally​ ​received​ ​a​ ​$0.25​ ​increase,​ ​wages​ ​have
remained​ ​at​ ​$7.25​ ​an​ ​hour.​ ​Currently,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​at​ ​$9.25,​ ​and​ ​plans​ ​to​ ​rise​ ​up​ ​to​ ​$10.10​ ​by​ ​2018.​ ​(11)
There​ ​haven’t​ ​been​ ​any​ ​other​ ​plans​ ​for​ ​Hawaii’s​ ​government​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​minimum​ ​wage​ ​after​ ​2018.
In​ ​calculation,​ ​if​ ​a​ ​working​ ​person​ ​with​ ​a​ ​current​ ​minimum​ ​wage​ ​job​ ​were​ ​to​ ​clock​ ​in​ ​40​ ​hours​ ​a
week​ ​earning​ ​$9.25​ ​an​ ​hour,​ ​they​ ​would​ ​earn​ ​roughly​ ​$740​ ​before​ ​taxes​ ​in​ ​a​ ​two​ ​week​ ​paycheck.
In​ ​a​ ​month,​ ​they’d​ ​earn​ ​about​ ​$1,480​ ​before​ ​taxes.​ ​The​ ​issue​ ​with​ ​Hawaii’s​ ​current​ ​minimum