8th June 2010
Posted in Updates

On the last day before it transformed into the new Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin ran an editorial outlining some of the challenges facing Ko’olau Loa, including Jobs/Economy, Education, Affordable Housing, Water/Natural Resources and Disaster Preparedness. These are the very same issues that have been studied and discussed during the Envision Lā’ie process over the last year. In fact, the editorial’s assessment of affordable housing was mirrored by the many comments in a housing video posted recently to the Envision Lā’ie YouTube Channel:

With shrinking availability of housing and the increasing number of second homes and vacation rentals in Koolauloa, many families have been forced to move out of state, while other who wish to stay in their hometowns and remain closer to family and loved ones struggle to find housing in the Koolauloa area.

Nothing emphasizes the challenges of affordable housing more than these facts quoted in the editorial:

Estimated median household income in 2008 was $63,702.
Estimated median house or condo value in 2008 was $570,964.

This data was sourced by City-Data.com and its summary of summary of Lā’ie includes a number of interesting tidbits, from the racial mix in the community to cost-of-living index.