Homelessness On The Rise In Hawaii

Hawaii's housing boom and other factors like high rents and a shortage of developable land mean that housing is often out of reach for the state's working poor. As a result, Hawaii has one of the nation's largest homeless populations.

1 minute read

January 12, 2007, 10:00 AM PST

By Alex Pearlstein

"Roughly 6,000 people in the state are without permanent shelter, according to Hawaii's Homeless Programs Division. That's nearly double the number without homes in 1999. Increasingly, this population consists of working families with children."

"One big factor behind Hawaii's homelessness is the housing boom that swept across the U.S. Run-ups in home prices displaced families nationwide, but the problem in Hawaii -- where land costs are more than five times the national average -- is particularly acute...Median rents in Hawaii are (also) currently the highest in the nation."

"Hawaii, whose current population is about 1.3 million, needs affordable housing to attract and retain service workers amid a tight labor market." Even so, "nearly 16,000 people are on the state's public-housing waiting list, which typically turns over every three to six years. The waiting time is one to two years for some housing candidates, including homeless families living in shelters."

[Editor's note: Although this article is only available to WSJ subscribers, it is available to Planetizen readers for free through the link below for a period of seven days.]

FULL STORY: Hawaii's Housing Boom Takes a Toll on the Homeless

Thursday, January 11, 2007 in The Wall Street Journal

Community / Economic Development Housing Social / Demographics Hawaii

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