Neighborhoods across Oahu are being negatively impacted by “monster houses,” which are essentially apartment buildings on residential-zoned lands. Under current ordinances, no more than five unrelated people are allowed to reside in a single-family residence. Rather than simply enforcing existing ordinances or, at a minimum, allow for more active enforcement of current laws to prevent “monster houses,” the city is proposing more restrictive ordinances that will impact families who want — and need — to build multigenerational homes.
Proposed lower density limits through reduced FAR (floor area ratio), increased setbacks, more on-site parking and unreasonable turnaround requirements will unfairly penalize multigenerational families.
The economic incentive for investors to build “monster houses” is simple: We don’t have a sufficient supply of housing to meet the current and future demand. The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism forecasted demand for additional housing units on Oahu at 25,847 units between 2015-2025. That would require 2,584 new units per year.
According to the latest Calendar Bulletin, from 2015, found on the city’s Department of Planning and Permitting website, 963 permits were issued for 892 single-family homes and 124 two-family homes. But, it’s not clear whether these are new addresses or rebuilds, so it could be significantly less than 1,016 units. We are falling further behind every year.
This lack of supply is also why Hawaii has the highest percentage of multigenerational households in the nation. As referenced in a May 2017 Honolulu Magazine article, “Before & After: How This Family Remodeled Their Home for Multigenerational Living:” … 11.3 percent of family households in Hawai‘i consist of three or more generations — the highest in the U.S. and almost double the national average of 5.8 percent, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.”
The city is proposing to aggressively reduce dwelling size to prevent “monster houses.” Ironically, this will have the unintended consequence of reducing overall housing supply by preventing families on Oahu from building multigenerational homes. Stronger enforcement of existing laws, not curtailing one’s ability to provide shelter for family, is a way to prevent these illegal apartment buildings in residential neighborhoods.
Proposed changes to density will take away as much as 40 percent of the buildable area currently allowed on all new and existing homes on the entire island of Oahu. While this reduction will hit especially hard those families that must resort to multigenerational living, it affects everyone — particularly homeowners with small, odd-shaped or sloping lots. These changes will potentially make it unfeasible or completely impractical to build. If building more housing is a priority, it seems this effort is only putting up more barriers.
Why are we penalizing good families for the few bad actors violating our current zoning laws?
If you are considering renovating or remodeling your home to accommodate additional family members, or if you simply believe taking up to 40 percent of the buildable area of your property is wrong, you need to do this: Contact the mayor’s office and your City Council member to let them know that “monster houses” should be addressed by enforcing or strengthening existing ordinances, rather than punishing you for legitimately trying to provide a place to live for you and your family.
Gladys Quinto Marrone is CEO of the Building Industry Association-Hawaii.
