Editorial: More affordable housing planned

So far, so good.

Lilia Waikiki, the Waikiki housing project proposed by developer OliverMcMillan, would commit 20 percent of its 455 units, or 91 rentals, for residents earning up to 80 percent of Honolulu’s medium income; further, such affordable rents would be maintained for 30 years.

The proposed tower at Kuhio Avenue and Kaneka­polei Street would exceed the site’s 260-foot height limit by 25 feet, have 37 percent more density than current zoning allows, and encroach slightly on property-line setbacks. But the trade-offs here seem sound. Any increase in affordable housing inventory is laudable, especially since government has been too lax about imposing needed conditions on developers to meet Hawaii’s dire housing and homelessness problems.

Under current levels, qualifying renters at Lilia Waikiki would see maximum rents of $1,352 for studios, $1,527 for one-bedroom units and $2,031 for two bedrooms. To be sure, some of the units are tight: 38 studios average just 385 square feet, for instance, while 44 one-bedroom units average 500 square feet. Still, shelter is essential, and especially in the urban core, having more is welcome indeed.