A new report illustrates how difficult it is to afford a home in Hawaii Nei.

Data released last week by the Corporation for Enterprise Development shows Hawaii has “the largest gap in the nation between residents’ income and housing costs. …”

The report, according to a press release, underscores the need for policies “that increase the availability of affordable housing during a time when developers are pushing for more high-priced luxury units. Instead, state legislators should continue to support expansion of the state’s Rental Housing Trust Fund to ensure financing is available for new affordable housing projects.”

View of upper Manoa Valley homes.

Cory Lum/Civil Beat

CFED also seeks promotion of policies that increase housing inventory through methods such as ohana dwelling units, accessory dwelling units and low-cost micro housing units.

Read the data on Hawaii’s Assets & Opportunity Scorecard.

Then check out all the articles published as part of Civil Beat’s Living Hawaii series, which include several that explain our high cost of housing and what might be done to alleviate it.