Why affordable housing is needed at the Aloha Stadium site

Sports fans and Hawaiians in need of affordable housing should be pleased that Senate Bill 2574 allows for ample space for a new stadium on the Aloha Stadium site, as well as room for many affordable homes.

SB 2574 reserves 25 acres needed for a new stadium.

The bill also allocates the remaining 73 acres of the 98-acre Aloha Stadium site to a mixed-use development that includes 75,000 affordable homes.

These apartments would be really affordable for working families. For example, the maximum rent for a two-bedroom apartment is $1,500 per month. In addition, all apartments would be affordable in the long run.

The combination of a stadium and accommodation would be synergistic. Many people who live on the premises would like to attend events at the stadium.

The hundreds of thousands of people residing on the site within easy walking distance of the stadium would also provide a tremendous client base for the events held at this facility.

SB 2574 would go a long way toward solving Hawaii‘s housing crisis. The magnitude of the crisis was underscored by a study by Aloha United Way, which estimated that 42% of Hawaiian households did not have enough income to meet all of their daily necessities.

This study was conducted before Covid, so the percentage has most likely increased significantly. Without adequate income, these families are forced to cut back on food, medicine, childcare, or other necessities.

life quality

Housing is usually – by far – the largest item in a family’s budget. Access to affordable housing would give people more money to spend on whatever they need and want. Affordable housing increases the quality of life.

We all know that housing in Hawaii doesn’t come cheap — and ironically, neither does affordable housing development. However, since the Aloha Stadium site is owned by the state, the land cost would be nil, and the land cost typically accounts for a large portion of the overall development cost.

Rendering of New Aloha Stadium, NASED, Entertainment District, Halawa
The new site of Aloha Stadium, as seen in this rendering, could include affordable rental housing. Courtesy: Crawford Architects

It’s also fortunate that a trend towards smaller apartments has started in Hawaii. A few small apartments have been built in Kakaako in the shadow of all those tall buildings with large luxury units. These small apartments sold out quickly, indicating high demand.

Small apartments designed to save space are already commonplace in Asian cities. A small kitchen is often located to one side of a small living room. Bathrooms are compact but functional.

These apartments would be really affordable for working families.

Although these apartments are small, they are livable. Small apartments like this would further reduce costs at the Aloha Stadium site.

Increased density would also reduce construction costs. Many other cost-saving ideas have been adopted by cities and countries around the world that have built large affordable housing developments over the decades. There’s no reason it can’t happen in Honolulu.

On the grounds of Aloha Stadium we can have both: sporting events and lots of really affordable housing. SB 2574 sets out the vision. We can do it – if we only believe in it!

Comments are closed.