Hawaii’s affordable housing crisis growing as many wait for years on wait lists

By Kristen Consillio

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    HONOLULU (KITV) — After 15 months on waitlists, Eric Jepsen finally had his first interview today to access low-income housing.

But it could take even longer — just to get a roof over his head.

“I am desperately trying to find housing but I’m not getting chaotic about it or getting really losing my mind over it because I know things take time,” he said. “I’ve heard of people waiting five to six years. They had children and they were families.”

Jepsen, who’s now 65, lives at Magic Island, and now that he’s off the wait list — another long process awaits involving more applications, interviews and background checks.

“It’s very, very slow,” Jepsen said. “I just thought it was because they were so full, that some people have to come off before others can get on. Like people have to pass away people have to move on in their life. I’ve learned to be patient at my age.”

A $40 million rental complex with more than 100 units for low-income kupuna is just one of the latest affordable housing projects being built in Honolulu.

But even with hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked for new affordable units, that won’t even make a dent because the need just keeps growing.

“Here in Hawaii right now, it’s very, very urgent,” said Kali Watson, president and CEO of nonprofit developer, Hawaiian Community Development Board. “The housing situation here in Hawaii is at a very critical stage as it relates to the homeless. I mean as you drive around…you see all these homeless people, families, not just individuals that are suffering in dire situations.”

According to the most recent state estimates, Oahu needs more than 21,000 new units to be built by 2030.

But developers say the government approval process is getting in the way of rapidly building more affordable housing projects.

“These low income housing tax credit projects will take you anywhere from four to five years. That’s a long time,” Watson said. “The process is broken. And you know in that time period, all these people are suffering.”

Not only suffering, but growing.

“It’s escalated,” Jepsen said. “We’ve got a whole new generation of homeless.”

Developers are calling on state leaders to issue an emergency proclamation to quickly get people housed.

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