HONOLULU (AP) — Honolulu residents will now be able to build and rent secondary homes on their property as part of an effort by city officials to deal with Hawaii’s affordable housing crisis.
Mayor Kirk Caldwell signed a bill into law Monday that lets homeowners in appropriately zoned areas apply for permits to build accessory dwelling units. Caldwell said there are about 20,000 lots in the city zoned for the additional homes.
“This ordinance is the most significant affordable housing ordinance the city’s adopted in years,” said Honolulu City Councilman Ron Menor.
Accessory dwelling units can be 400 to 800 square feet and attached or detached from the main home. Only one unit can be built per lot and rental agreements cannot be shorter than six months.
“We know if it’s a large unit it’s going to rent for a lot more. We want units to be built that are affordable,” said Caldwell.
Supporters of the new program say the additional units will help provide affordable housing in the city as well as create additional income for homeowners.
“This is the beginning of the path towards creating more of the housing we’ll need on this island,” said Brian Matson, assistant state homeless coordinator, Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness.