In 2024, CommunityScale developed a Housing Plan for the City & County of Honolulu with support from Abt Global. We are pleased to share that Honolulu has since launched its 2025–2028 Strategic Housing Plan, an expansive commitment to affordable housing across O’ahu.
The plan prioritizes high density housing around the rail system on the southern side of the island with neighborhood-scale infill housing around the island’s other communities.
Honolulu County hosts one of the country’s most cost-burdened housing markets. With widening gaps in affordability, it is crucial to identify innovative solutions to both prevent workforce outmigration and meet the population’s diverse housing needs. The City’s Strategic Housing Plan aims to proactively address Honolulu’s housing challenges through:
- Partnerships with developers to maximize the potential of public lands
- Innovative financing strategies and new resources
- Centralized housing functions to streamline processes of development, finance, and policy
Strategic Housing Plan Highlights
Expanding Transit-Oriented Development (TOD)
The Skyline rail system is bringing more than just transportation—it’s an opportunity to build high-density, mixed-use communities along its 20-mile route. By concentrating growth in existing urban areas, TOD corridors help conserve rural areas while integrating housing, offices, retail, education, and government services. Successful TOD will reduce commute times, lower transportation costs, and support Honolulu’s sustainability goals.
Embracing TOD at Kūwili Station
The Kūwili Station area is ripe with redevelopment opportunities. Redeveloping the City and State’s parcels around the station will increase multi-modal connectivity, address environmental concerns, and mitigate flood risks for an underserved community. The Strategic Housing Plan builds on the Downtown Neighborhood TOD Plan, the product of almost a decade of extensive community engagement and input. The plan envisions thousands of housing units within a vibrant mixed-use district, backed by $2.7 million in federal and state grants for infrastructure and master planning.
Accelerating Housing Development
Hoping to replicate the success of Parkway Village at Kapolei—a mixed-use development on City-owned land boasting of 401 housing units, two on-site preschools, and completed in just over a year—the City is looking for efficiency through public-private collaboration. In an important first step, Honolulu is leveraging underutilized public lands and streamlining procurement processes to expedite partnerships with local developers.
Enhancing Housing Finance Strategies
Existing funding sources for affordable housing, including General Obligation Bonds, Private Activity Bonds, and the Affordable Housing Fund (Ordinance 7-19), are limited. To address the need, Honolulu is exploring new ways to expand resources and support housing development.
Reorganizing Housing Functions
As announced in Mayor Blangiardi’s 2024 State of the City address, the City plans to consolidate its housing programs under the proposed Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM). This restructuring, along with new permitting review technology, aims to streamline project delivery and centralize the coordination of housing initiatives.
Explore the 2025–2028 Strategic Housing Plan
Read the press release and download the final plan.
CommunityScale is proud to have performed the analysis that enabled such unprecedented action. We are excited to see how Honolulu’s approach to affordable housing combines data and innovation with present and future needs.
