Affordable Housing Irony in Ewa Beach

By Don Newman

A story in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin on 3/16/06 titled “Affordable Housing Draws Ire” demonstrates that nobody really wants such developments in their back yards. A quote from State Rep. Rida Cabanilla that “The number 1 concern is drugs” and that people in the area are also afraid that the project will result in “a lot of poverty-related crime.”

This is somewhat ironic since the land was condemned by the city for specifically this purpose. Yet in an even greater irony, some residents of the area are opposing the project because it isn’t restricted entirely to “affordable” housing but would also include some market-rate and “moderate-income” units as well. The objection here is that this would put an even greater burden on the Ewa Beach’s already over burdened roadway infrastructure.

So on the one hand you have some people who don’t want any affordable housing built there at all and on the other you have some who want only affordable housing to be built there. A classic lose-lose situation in that no matter what happens there are going to be some disappointed people.

Originally the two projects were designed to only be affordable housing, one project specifically limited to the elderly. But costs of construction have risen dramatically since the original planning and now builders are trying to offset some of those additional costs by building some market value homes. A much smaller percentage than is required by law but some. And the issue here isn’t the much dreaded “profit-motive” since both builders are non-profits, so it is simply a matter of economics.

In yet another twist Cabanilla is reported to have said that the developers should simply stick to the original plan. But wouldn’t that make all the units “affordable” housing and raise the concerns over drugs and crime even more? Is she for or against building the projects?

This paradox wasn’t lost on State Rep. Michael Kahikina, chairman of the House Housing Committee either, saying "It's difficult for me to understand why she's saying we need housing for the homeless on one hand, but saying 'not in my backyard' on the other."

The real problem here is government is far too involved in the process of homebuilding in the first place. Around the country studies are beginning to show that “smart growth,” restrictive building codes, over protective zoning, impact fees and a plethora of rules and regulations are responsible for driving up the price of housing, making it unaffordable.

It will be interesting to see how this particular circumstance plays out in Ewa Beach. It may be an indicator of things to come as the state tries to partner with private companies to provide more affordable housing. There will no doubt be more caterwauling and angst as residents find out where the projects are planned with cries of “But you can’t build it there!”

Too bad we can’t just go back to what made this nation great in the first place and let the free-market do its thing. You’d be surprised how fast housing would become affordable if we did that. But then that would deprive the socialist planners and environmentalists from telling us where we can live, how we can travel and what we can do. And that just wouldn’t be “fair” now would it?