Housing Problems and Needs of Native Hawaiians

Authors: Urban Institute     Mikelsons, Maris     Eschbach, Karl     University of Houston    

The primary objectives of this study are to assess the housing problems and needs of Native Hawaiians in light of the housing conditions and market circumstances that exist in Hawaii. Native Hawaiians do not have a treaty relationship with the U.S. Government as American Indians do, but the State of Hawaii administers about 203,000 acres of Home Lands set aside by Congress in 1921. Using data primarily from the 1990 Census, the analysis centers on housing quality, overcrowding, and affordability for Hawaiians living in various environments. The report found that approximately half of all Native Hawaiians have housing problems in one of the most costly housing markets in the country. Twenty-eight percent of all Native Hawaiians must spend over 30 percent of their income on housing, which HUD has deemed overly burdensome. Both on and off Home Lands, the incidence of overcrowding is high. The report concludes that a more flexible and coordinated approach on the part of public and private entities is needed to address the affordable housing needs of Native Hawaiians.

*The online version of the publication "Housing Problems and Needs of Native Hawaiians" does not contain the charts, graphs, and maps that are found in the print copy. These may be found in the "Tables" file in Excel format.

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