Housing is an issue that strikes close to home because, in fact, it is home. It’s the place we retreat to, where we raise our families, and where we build wealth over time. Call it affordable housing, workforce housing, call it any housing; the need for adequate shelter is fundamental to being a productive citizen.
Because housing is such a personal need, we naturally think of a housing shortage in terms of its personal impact, which is undeniable and powerful. You can see numerous examples of these personal impacts in testimony before government bodies and in reporting on Hawaii’s housing shortage: unreasonable commutes to and from work, overnights in cars because of the unavailability of housing, endless searches for reasonable housing options, the Hawaiian diaspora as people move to the mainland because of unaffordable housing, and, of course, homelessness. These problems strike at the heart, and hearts are personal.
But in considering the impact of housing shortages, let’s expand our view to consider the broader impact this problem has on businesses and the general barriers it presents to our overall economic development. The shortage of affordable housing, however you define that product, is detrimental to Hawaii’s efforts toward sustainability. It gets in the way of attracting and retaining the workers we need not only to keep us going as remote communities in the middle of the ocean, but to expand the industries we need, like health care, education and technology. It impacts everything.
Consider the case of the clinic manager who has successfully recruited a locally raised health care provider who wants to return home. “She’s bid on just about anything remotely appropriate that comes along, but those opportunities are sparse, she keeps getting outbid, and she’s ready to leave,” says the manager. So, our community’s already tenuous access to health care is further jeopardized, and a business’s strategic plans are short-circuited.
Consider the case of the auto shop owner who would like to attract mechanics with the particular skills he needs from the mainland, and who has tried repeatedly to do that. “You’d think people would jump at the chance of a good-paying job in paradise. But once they take a look at the housing options available and the prices they would have to pay for those, they do an about-face, and that’s the last I hear from them.” So, a business’s expansion plans are stymied and potential profits evaporate.
Consider the teacher who relocates to the Big Island with his family with the hopes of surely being able to score a housing situation. Unsurprisingly, the same old issues we hear over and over surface here as well. There just isn’t housing that is affordable for this family. After a few months of frustrating search, they give up, pack up, and move home. So, more lives are upended, and another precious local resource, an educational professional who could contribute to a skilled workforce, is gone.
The housing shortage is personally painful, but it’s painful for the overall community as well. Governmental measures and new ideas about housing methods are afoot to try to improve the immediate situation, and these are welcome. But the ultimate solutions are long-term.
A recent UHERO report on the regulatory barriers to housing (uhero.hawaii.edu) provided evidence that the entire process of housing development in the state of Hawaii, and in Hawaii County particularly, needs reform. Consider becoming part of the discussion about this and more informed about the barriers getting in the way of affordable housing and about the potential solutions to our housing crisis. One way to do this is through an organization like Vibrant Hawaii (vibranthawaii.org).
Vibrant Hawaii, a nonprofit dedicated to multi-sector collaboration, has focused on community-led solutions to address complex issues affecting our community, including housing. Dennis Boyd is a member of Vibrant Hawaii’s Housing Coalition and is chair of the Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce’s Permitting and Housing Task Force.