A Thousand Bandages

A Message from Lee Wang, Housing Hawai‘i’s Future’s Executive Director

If we haven’t met already - I’m Lee Wang, the new Executive Director here at Housing Hawaii’s Future.

The visionary leadership of our past-ED, Sterling Higa, has set HHF up for exciting new opportunities that are in store specifically for YOU in 2025. Get ready, a big swell is coming!

Over the last four decades, Hawai‘i housing shortage has been caused by a thousand cuts against affordable workforce housing for our residents.

Meanwhile, there is no single initiative that will fix unaffordable housing. There is no silver bullet.

Scrutinizing proposed (positive) solutions can lead to the claim, “this won't fix the entire problem.: However, the only way to apply a thousand bandages is to do so one at a time.

Creating more housing supply is not the only solution. A sustainable solution also requires stability.

DBEDT's estimates Hawaii is short 50,000 homes to meet demand. Last year, 1-in-4 homes were purchased by offshore buyers.

Increasing inventory helps supply, but for whom? Stability in our housing market ensures homes reach Hawai‘i’s residents. Where we have finite supply, stability keeps excessive offshore demand in-check.

This way, homes stay available for local residents.

If Hawaii magically built 50,000 homes tomorrow, how many would local residents afford to occupy?

Or even more daunting, how do I compete with the richest 2% from every major national and international city in the world who pine for the shores of Hawai‘i?

These are questions we ask every day at Housing Hawai‘i’s Future.

Luckily, the solution is right in front of us. We need supply and stability in-tandem. In a sustainable world, one does not exist without the other.

Next week, I’ll unveil some of the exciting proposals taking shape in the Hawai‘i State Legislature geared toward generating more housing supply while preserving housing stability.

In the meantime, we’ll need your support. Stay tuned, and be a part of the movement.

Raise your hand if you're ready to apply the next bandage.