Posted at 11:57 a.m., Friday, October 13, 2006
Low-income families spend 56% on housing, transport
Advertiser Staff
Honolulu's low- and moderate-income families spend an average of 56 percent of their income on housing and transportation costs, according to a study by the Center for Housing Policy, which studies affordable housing challenges and related public policies and programs.Honolulu was below the 57.3 percent average in 28 cities studied by the Washington-based center. Costs as a percentage of income were highest in San Francisco at 63 percent and lowest in Pittsburgh at 54 percent.
The study examined families with incomes ranging between $20,000 and $50,000. It found that people who spent less on housing typically lived in areas with more affordable home prices that are farther from job centers. As a result these families spent more on commuting costs.
The center found people in Honolulu spent 31 percent of their income on housing.
Transportation costs here for commuting to work averaged $8,170, or 25 percent of income.
Honolulu's transportation costs were second-lowest of the group, with high use of public transportation. Honolulu had the second-lowest number of people driving to work and the second-highest number walking or biking to jobs. New York was top in both of these categories as well as use of public transit.
