Affordable Housing on the Agenda

The House Committee on Housing was scheduled today to hear from a range of experts on the state’s housing problems. Hawaii is known as one of the most expensive states to live in, with its cost of living currently 8 percent higher than Los Angeles and 30.9 percent higher than Chicago, according to Move Inc.

That’s one reason the U.S. Census shows that only 56.5 percent of Hawaii residents own their own homes, compared to 66.2 percent nationwide. The 2000 median home value in Hawaii of $272,700 was more than twice the U.S. average of $119,600.

Among the experts invited to present housing data to the committee:

• Kathleen Hasegawa and Sherrilee Dadson, directors, Habitat for Humanity
• Karen Seddon, executive director, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation
• Jo-Ann Ridao, deputy director, Department of Housing and Human Concerns, Maui County
• Nani Medeiros, executive director, Housing Hawaii
• Chad Tanaguchi, director, Hawaii Housing Authority