Hawai‘i residents are signaling they are done with slow-walked housing solutions. A new statewide survey finds strong majorities calling for more homes to be built quickly, faster permitting and public financing to help cover the extra costs that push prices out of reach. The results outline public support for everything from taller buildings near transit to rent-to-own options as lawmakers sort through housing bills this session.
Survey snapshot
According to the Winter 2025 Hawai‘i Perspectives report from Pacific Resource Partnership, the survey ran from July 1 to Aug. 10, 2025, and polled 907 residents statewide with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.25 percentage points. PRP says respondents from all four counties were included to give policymakers a cross-island look at the tradeoffs tied to different housing strategies.
What residents back
The poll shows clear backing for moving faster and using public tools to help buyers. About 71% of respondents said Hawai‘i should build more housing as quickly as possible, and a majority also supported government action to bring down costs for people trying to buy. The survey reports support for raising building height limits in select areas at 55%, strong backing for rent-to-own programs at 86% and interest in adding more homes and shops near bus or rail stops at 79%, as reported by Maui Now.
Infrastructure costs squeeze buyers
A PRP spokesperson told Hawaii News Now that when developers are required to cover the cost of roads, sewers and utilities, those infrastructure bills can tack roughly $200,000 onto the price of a single home. Hawaii News Now noted PRP’s example of a Kona project where per-unit prices climbed by about $220,000 after developer-funded infrastructure was added, a scenario that helps explain why many survey respondents said they favor bond financing.
Military footprint and state land
The Hawai‘i Perspectives survey also probed how residents view the military in the islands. The report finds that 89% of respondents say the armed services are very or somewhat important to Hawai‘i’s economy, and 59% support building more housing on bases to ease pressure on the civilian market. Opinions split over continued military use of state land at Pōhakuloa Training Area, with 48% supporting retention and 41% opposing it, according to the PRP report.
Why the numbers matter
PRP and local coverage point to a major housing shortfall. The report cites a gap of more than 64,000 homes statewide, a deficit that helps explain public support for faster approvals and public financing tools, according to Hawaii News Now. National reporting highlights how tough the situation has become for would-be buyers: an analysis from the Associated Press finds that homeownership affordability in Hawai‘i has plunged, leaving many typical households priced out.
What leaders say
“Hawai‘i needs more than 64,000 units of housing right now, so it’s not a question of whether we should build, but how quickly we can act,” Pacific Resource Partnership Executive Director Nathaniel Kinney said, as quoted in Maui Now. Kinney’s comments, paired with the survey results, give state and county officials a pointed message that many residents are open to using bonds, zoning changes and faster permitting to speed up home construction.
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