Honolulu is in dire need of more affordable housing. The proliferation of “monster houses” resembling walk-up apartment buildings in neighborhoods zoned for single-family homes, along with the city’s ongoing homelessness struggles, serve as warning signs that the problem has shifted from bad to worse.

A glimmer of hope for a swing round from worse to better is flickering, though, with the City Council’s backing of a pair of resolutions that target tweaks to low-rise building and zoning requirements.

Many different types of fixes are needed to successfully surmount Oahu’s housing crunch, of course. The two measures in the works, according to city figures, could pave the way for redevelopment of about 3,000 land parcels and construction of some 20,000 additional apartment units. Such an inventory boost would go a long way to helping fend off a bleak forecast that estimates a housing shortfall of at least 65,000 units within the next seven years or so.

>> Resolution 18-77 calls on Honolulu Hale to look at easing Building Code requirements in apartment zones and offer other incentives for construction of affordable housing in those zones.

>> Resolution 18-78 offers a proposed bill with a five-year pilot project that includes incentives to build low-rise multifamily dwellings in apartment, business and mixed-use zones — and requires renting them in perpetuity to tenants earning 100 percent or less of area median income (AMI). For Honolulu County, 100 percent translates to $81,700 for an individual, $93,300 for a couple, and $116,600 for a family of four, according to new federal guidelines.

Walk-up construction, which thrived in urban neighborhoods such as McCully-Moiliili and Makiki from the 1950s to the ’70s, has since stalled. These days, despite the pent-up demand for affordable housing, the the bulk of construction is in the luxury bracket, which is typically easier for developers to pencil out.

In an effort to pivot developer focus, the city is ramping up its overall inventory of monetary incentives for buildings tailored to house residents in our low-income bracket, which tops out at 80 percent of AMI. That group accounts for three-quarters of the affordable housing demand.

It’s encouraging that some development observers are already predicting the proposal, which could reduce construction costs by as much as 25 percent, will likely spur new construction as well as upgrades to the existing supply of low-rise apartment buildings. An estimated 95 percent of the aging stock is in need of renovation or reconstruction.

However, the push to pencil out comes with neighborhood concessions. Most noticeable would be a higher-density squeeze. The proposal allows buildings to have a density four times the total square footage of a lot — up from 0.9 times the total now. Also, the city would waive parking restrictions, and setback areas would be reduced to allow for wider structures than now allowed. As Honolulu strives to become less car-centric, the parking problem could fade.

Among the Building Code tweaks: four- and five-story structures (up to 60 feet) on smaller lots — 20,000 or fewer square feet — could get a waiver from an elevator requirement. That may raise red flags tied to safety and federal Americans with Disabilities Act requirements that the city must sort out.

For many residents, single-family homes are the dream. But on Oahu, where suitable building space is hemmed in mauka and makai, thousands of new houses could leave us with a nightmare of horizontal sprawl. And outside of the redevelopment in Kakaako and along the Kapiolani Boulevard corridor, proposals for high-rise towers are sure bets for neighborhood pushback.

The two resolutions, on which Mayor Kirk Caldwell is expected to sign off, hold promise to brighten Oahu’s now-dismal affordable housing projections.

City leaders and developers must work in tandem to push housing forward.