
Lawmakers have been pouring more money into new housing but affordability and homelessness are still major problems.
In the 2025 legislative session, state House and Senate lawmakers earmarked almost $400 million for housing subsidies and public housing developments over the next two years to try to make a dent in the increasingly desperate statewide need for affordable housing. Legislators also approved spending hundreds of millions of dollars for Gov. Josh Green’s kauhale (tiny home) program for the homeless, to create new housing units by redeveloping state properties and for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund and the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, which are used to subsidize housing projects.
Quick Facts
- Expensive market: Hawai‘i has the highest home prices in the nation, and is second only to California for the highest median rent in the country.
- Houses vs. condos: The median price of a single-family home sold in 2024 was $950,000, which was 6% higher than 2023. But the median price for a condominium sale was $600,000, or 6% lower than 2023.
- Homeless: A total of 6,389 people experienced homelessness in the state of Hawai’i in 2024, with the majority of them on Oʻahu.
- STR conversion: Due to the 2023 Lahaina wildfires, Maui County is considering converting thousands of short-term rentals into long-term housing.
Housing Bills
In Focus
Here are all of the bills considered in the current session involving housing, including some aimed at reducing homelessness. Highlighted bills are identified by Civil Beat as among the most significant this year. “In progress” status includes bills that may have been deferred but are technically still alive until the end of the two-year Legislature.

Part I: Establishes requirements for kauhale projects, including reporting requirements by the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions (OHHS). Requires the Auditor to conduct a management and performance audit of the kauhale initiative. Appropriates funds for the continued operation of the kauhale initiative. Part II: Establishes the Ohana Zones Program as a permanent program within OHHS. Appropriates funds to DHS for the continued implementation of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program. Part III: Requires OHHS to submit a report every four months to the Legislature detailing the expenditure of funds appropriated toward the kauhale and ohana zones initiatives and conduct a comprehensive needs assessment. Part IV: Changes references to the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to "Coordinator on Homelessness". Specifies that the Coordinator on Homelessness shall report directly to the Director of Human Services. (CD1)

Requires developers developing an affordable housing project under the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation to assist certain tenants who are subject to displacement or eviction by the proposed project by: granting those tenants the right of first refusal of a comparable unit in the housing project or establishing a fund to provide relocation benefits and offer assistance; providing information, either directly or through a contracted service, on how to obtain assistance and exercise the right of first refusal; and establishing procedures to track and maintain communication with those tenants. Establishes consequences for a developer's noncompliance. Takes effect 7/1/2050. (SD1)

Establishes the Kamaaina Homes Program to provide funding to the counties to purchase voluntary deed restrictions from eligible homeowners or homebuyers. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD2)

Establishes procedures and requirements for single-family and multi-family housing project applicants to apply for an expedited permit, including requirements for completeness of expedited permit applications, duties of licensed professionals and the counties during construction, and applications for owner-builder exemptions. Takes effect 7/1/2026. Sunsets 6/30/2031. (CD1)
Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Water and Land
Committee: House Standing Committee on Energy & Environmental Protection
Committee: House Standing Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs
Committee: House Standing Committee on Water & Land
Committee: House Standing Committee on Housing
Key Players
Legislative Leaders
These are the leaders in the Legislature for housing issues as identified by Civil Beat.






Non-Legislative Leaders
Other than legislators, these are the people or organizations that have been most active on housing and homelessness issues.

