2011 Housing Planning Study - Technical Report

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INTRODUCTION The objective of the Hawaii Housing Planning Study (HHPS) 2011 was to add new and timely information to that gathered in previous studies and to continue the development of the Study as a comprehensive housing planning tool. In past Housing Policy Studies, results have slowly evolved toward the latter goal. The original housing study in 1992 produced the first comprehensive set of data related to housing issues in Hawaii. The 1997 study updated that information, and added an analysis of rental housing costs in the State. In 2000, a set of items selected from the Housing Demand Survey of 1997 was administered to a large sample of Hawaii households in order to help in reconciling HHPS data and Census estimates. The 2003 Study updated the information once again and added an evaluation of the housing needs of the elderly, the risk of homelessness in Hawaii households, and two surveys to examine awareness of and interest in the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program. In 2006, the Study was expanded to include an analysis of housing production data over the last five years and the housing model was radically restructured in response to the needs of housing analysts in Hawaii. The 2011 HHPS shifted focus from providing the multitude of data tables included in previous studies to examining the policy and planning implications of the Study's findings. PROJECT STRUCTURE The HHPS 2011 utilizes data from six data collection and analysis sources: 1. Housing Stock Inventory: An inventory of all housing units in the State at the end of 2010. In 2011, the inventory was expanded to include U.S. Decennial Census data and data taken from the American Community Survey (ACS)'. Inventory data are the foundation for counting and describing housing stock and are fundamental to the Hawaii Housing Model. 2. Rental Housing Study: A study of rental unit advertisements, prices, and characteristics from January 2006 through May 2011. The rent study was expanded this year to include data from the ACS, the Office of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Fair Market Rents, and other sources. 3. Production Data: A set of interviews with housing producers to enhance understanding of issues related to housing development and a review of County data on scheduled housing unit production aimed at developing reliable estimates of short-run housing production. 4. Housing for Special Needs Groups Study: This study included a set of stakeholder interviews with persons who work with special needs groups and understand their housing needs, as well as hard data on the special needs populations, including their numbers, housing needs, available housing units, and future prospects. 5. Housing Demand Survey: A statewide survey of more than 5,000 households to measure current housing conditions, expectations to move to a new unit, new unit preferences, financial qualifications for purchase or rent, and demographic characteristics of household members. For those unfamiliar with the American Community Survey, an excellent description appears on the U.S. Census website http://www.census.gov/acs/www/about the survey/american community survey/ Hawaii Housing Planning Study,2011: Technical Report Page 1 0 SMS, Inc. November,2011