With the Hawaii housing market "boom" over the last few years the housing crisis seems to still be rampant amongst the renters. The sales prices of our homes are still in a very high range, our condos and townhouses are still selling with a little bit of an increase in July and we are starting to see a little more action with the time on the market (as long as it is priced with comparable properties that last sold) decreasing.
The renters want more "affordable housing" and the homeowners want to "limit development" and "protect our lands". So when residents asked their opinion on housing, environment, and agricultural land issues this is what the outcome was:
- Limit growth to protect the environment (even if taxes were increased?) 61%
- Limit growth to protect the environment (even if housing costs were increased?) 46%
- Build on agricultural land to obtain more affordable housing 31%
- Land use and permitting rule stricter 36%
- Agricultural industry should grow faster than our economy? 56%
Bottom line: Rentals are high and not affordable for a lot of our local people...therefore, shoving many into homelessness. And when I talk about "homelessness" i am not including the people who put themselves in that situation (drugs, alcohol, gangs) and not willing to get out of it. I am also not including people who were irresponsible (i.e. wracked up credit card debts, wrecked their credit so they couldn't buy a home and have a hard time renting as well because they just had to have those $5,000 rims for their truck with a $800 a month payment)
Homelessness occurs when:
- There is a tragic event that happens (i.e. death, divorce, job loss) and they can no longer afford to pay ...anything
- Both spouses work but their normal cost of living expenditures far exceed their income now that their rent went up $500 more a month.
- The rental was sold out from under them and the price of rentals doubled! Tripled! And they are unable to obtain a rental after their initial application because the income to debt ratio doesn't pass the rental/credit check.
- The car to get to work becomes more important than the roof over their heads. It's a matter of eating at this point.
The good news is that a lot of the "real" homeless people are being helped with new shelters that were built to accomodate the "displaced" by the rising housing market. These are the people that are sincerely wanting the help that our social workers are offering as well as making the effort to once again be on their feet. These are the responsible people who deserve that help.
The other good news is that we have the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force www.hawaii2050.org but the plan will depend on community involvement. (Isn't that always the case to make something work?) So, with recycling, renewable energy and also healthcare what we really need is to make a sustainable Hawaii that will survive through generations to come.
This particular post inspired me when I wrote a comment to one of Christopher Walker's posts and he asked me a question about our homeless situation. He asked if they had something in place where some of the homeless could move to the mainland where cost of living was definitely cheaper. I responded with my own opinion that if I should become homeless would I move there? I answered, 'probably not'.
Residents of Hawaii participated in a survey conducted by the Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force.
- 81% would not be willing to move to the Mainland to protect the environment. The survey was conducted by all residents including renters and homeowners.
More on the survey click here: Hawaii 2050 Sustainability Task Force Survey
I would not be willing to move for anything or any reason either.
This is my home. This is Hawaii.
Celeste "Sally" Cheeseman's Mililani Hawaii Real Estate Blog 2007
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