New law to ease housing 'crisis'

By Robbie Dingeman
Advertiser Staff Writer

Gov. Linda Lingle yesterday signed into law a bill aimed at helping fill the need for an estimated 30,000 more affordable housing units — including 17,000 rentals — in the next four years.

Senate Bill 2926 increases the bond authorization amount under the Hula Mae Multi-Family Housing Program from $200 million to $300 million to spur the development and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing projects.

Lingle signed the measure at the site of a planned affordable rental housing project for seniors in Iwilei. The 155-unit Senior Residence at Iwilei is intended to help the same target audience as the new law.

Richard Porter, 63, welcomed the news from the perspective of someone who knows what it's like to have no place to go. "I was homeless for three years and nine months," he said.

Porter, who now lives at Kulana Hale Senior Apartment, said more money for bonds will help.

"That is exactly what's needed to get people off the street.

"The rental market is very tight the way it is now," Porter said. "Without some assistance, it's very, very difficult."

He said he was able to get off the street with the help of Catholic Charities, which found him a place to live and gave him the rental deposit so that he could move in.

Darlene Hein, executive director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance, said she was happy to hear that the governor and her administration will be concentrating on the issue. "She understands that we have a housing crisis," Hein said. "She really wants to work toward making more housing available to people with low incomes."

Hein said Hawai'i is an especially tough housing market.

"The rental market is impossible," she said. "Anything that can be done will be helpful."

Stephanie Aveiro, executive director of the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawai'i, said the bond increase will help with finding developers to build new affordable housing projects. And she said it will help preserve existing projects by attracting property owners who would like to rehabilitate their units but are reaching the end of their federal subsidy agreements.

"With the help of this Hula Mae Multi-Family bond program, they will be able to get these low-interest mortgage loans and receive the benefit of the 4 percent low-income housing tax credits," Aveiro said.

Lingle said she sees the growing need for affordable housing and expects to focus on the issue in the coming months. How far the additional $100 million goes "depends on how successful we are in leveraging with developers," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reach Robbie Dingeman at rdingeman@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-2429.