For many people in Hawai‘i, “affordable housing” still isn’t affordable. You might’ve heard the term deeply affordable housing. It’s used in housing policy circles, but what it really means is simple: homes for people earning around $30,000 a year or less. That includes kūpuna on fixed incomes, people with disabilities, families living in shelters, and even some who are working full time but still can’t afford a place to live.
At HomeAid Hawai‘i, we focus on building deeply affordable homes because this is where the need is greatest. Some are coming off the streets. Others are just one unexpected bill or life change away from losing their home. And others lost everything in a single moment. When housing is available at every income level, we create a more stable and more equitable future for everyone.
Here are six changes that happen when housing is truly accessible at every income level:
1. We Prevent Homelessness Before It Starts
When housing is accessible at every income level, the crisis stops before it begins. Families with low wages, kūpuna with fixed incomes, and youth aging out of foster care no longer sit on the edge of a cliff. Instead, they stand on solid ground. Today, 38,000 households in Hawai‘i are barely holding on, and 6,400 are already unhoused. The state needs 17,200 deeply affordable homes to stabilize this gap (DBEDT HHPS 2024, p. 1–5). Building those homes means fewer families pushed into trauma and more people standing rooted in where they belong.
2. Deeply Affordable Housing Makes Affordable Housing “Affordable” Again
When our lowest-income residents have no options, they end up in units meant for others. That blocks the flow of the whole system. Deeply affordable housing restores that flow. It opens doors for those who are struggling the most, which in turn frees up space for everyone else. In Hawai‘i, over 65% of new housing needs to serve households earning 80% of AMI or less (DBEDT HHPS 2024, p. 9). When we build more housing across income levels, especially at the bottom, it sets in motion a filtering process that makes homes more accessible at every rung of the ladder (Rosenthal 2014).
3. Local People Get to Stay in Hawai‘i
Too many of our people are being priced out of their own home. Nearly 50% of Native Hawaiians now live outside of Hawai‘i. Every year, around 15,000 people leave for the mainland (CBS News). Aloha United Way reports that 37% of local families have considered moving, and 73% of them say housing is the reason (ALICE 2024 Report). Kūpuna are also one of the fastest-growing unhoused populations, especially those living alone on fixed incomes (KITV - Island News). This is not just a housing and homelessness crisis. It is a crisis of identity. When we build truly affordable homes, we keep families rooted, culture intact, and the spirit of Hawai‘i alive.
4. Our Neighborhoods Become Places to Belong
When housing is stable, communities come alive. Keiki play outside without fear. Kūpuna tend their gardens. Local shops stay open. ʻOhana gather in shared yards. The data backs it up. Studies show that housing stability improves school performance, strengthens civic ties, and boosts well-being (Hawai‘i Housing Lab, ʻImi Pono Survey). When housing is in place, so is everything else that makes life worth living. That is the Hawai‘i we remember and the one we can create again.
5. Health Improves and Healthcare Costs Drop
At Pūlama Ola Kauhale, we saved the state over $4.3 million in Medicaid and human services spending simply by giving people a place to heal. As shown in the Hawai‘i Pathways Project, supportive housing reduced healthcare costs by 76% (Hawai‘i Pathways Project, p. 8) and the number of ER visits by 65%. Stable housing means better sleep, more consistent care, and lower stress. That is not just good policy. It is good sense.
6. Bringing Housing Costs Back Under 30% Strengthens the Local Economy
More than half of renters in Hawai‘i spend over 30% of their income on housing. For our most vulnerable residents, that number often jumps to 50% or more (DBEDT HHPS 2024, p. 21–22). We are building to change that. When rent is reasonable, families have more for food, medicine, education, and small business. That means stronger households and a stronger economy. When we take care of those at the bottom, the whole system rises.
This is the Hawai‘i we know is possible. One where no one is left behind because their paycheck is too small or their luck has run out. One where our kūpuna can age in peace, our keiki can dream big, and our ʻohana can stay rooted. But it will take all of us. Not just to build more homes, but to build differently, with care, and with kuleana.
