Up for Growth 2022 Housing Underproduction Report Finds Hawaii’s Housing Deficit Has Increased 98% Since 2012

First-of-its kind report quantifies housing shortage by metropolitan and county levels, finds underproduction in state reached more than 7,600 homes in 2019, up from 3,900 in 2012

News Release from Up for Growth, July 25, 2022

Washington, DC – Up for Growth, a cross-sector member network committed to solving the nation’s housing shortage and affordability crisis through data-driven research and evidence-based policy, today released a groundbreaking report that finds housing underproduction in Hawaii has reached 7,644 homes, an increase of 98 percent since 2012, ranking the state 40th in the United States in terms of the severity of its housing deficit.

“With new data and clear details, this report lays out what we’ve all known: we need to build more housing,” said U.S. Senator Brian Schatz. “Exclusionary local zoning laws and NIMBYism, among other reasons, have led to a severe shortage in housing, leaving many people in Hawai‘i and across the U.S. without an affordable place to live. We can and must do more to overcome these barriers.”

Up for Growth’s 2022 Housing Underproduction in the United States is a first-of-its-kind longitudinal study tracking nationwide housing underproduction by county and metropolitan area – the most detailed analysis of local housing underproduction ever produced. By measuring the gap between the number of homes available versus those needed, Up for Growth identified a housing deficit in 47 states and the District of Columbia, and 169 metropolitan areas – finding that housing underproduction in the U.S. reached 3.8 million homes in 2019, up from 1.6 million in 2012.

"Decades of persistent housing underproduction is the greatest problem facing my community today,” said Hon. Stanley Chang of the Hawaii State Senate. “This report shows how deep the problem is and how many people it affects across the country. I hope governors and legislators nationwide immediately commit to producing the number of homes needed."

In 2012, the nation’s affordability problem was concentrated on the coasts and in the Southwest. Today, 47 states and the District of Columbia have seen underproduction rise over the past seven years. The average U.S. state had a housing deficit of 79,000 homes. As a percentage of total housing stock, states with the most severe housing underproduction were, in order of severity: California, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Washington DC, Arizona, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. New to the list since 2012 are six states: Nevada, Missouri, South Carolina, Rhode Island, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.

The report also includes a plan that quantifies the potential economic, fiscal, social and environmental benefits of building millions of new homes. A Better Foundation is Up for Growth’s new and innovative housing policy framework that can help policymakers craft tailored housing solutions to improve economic vibrancy and resiliency. Up for Growth data finds that building 3.8 million additional homes would create increased housing affordability, add $209 billion to the U.S. GDP, generate $7 billion in additional local revenue, and reduce C02 emissions to the equivalent of 7.7 billion fewer miles traveled annually at full buildout.

“With the nation 3.8 million homes short of meeting housing needs, the U.S. is in an extreme state of housing underproduction,” said Mike Kingsella, Chief Executive Officer of Up for Growth. “Housing affordability is foundational for building and sustaining healthy local economies, and provides individuals and families with the stability necessary to invest in themselves and their communities. The Housing Underproduction report offers policymakers solutions to help create more homes while also improving equity, community resilience, and addressing drivers of climate change. It is vital that we act now to address America’s most urgent economic, environmental and social equity crisis.”

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LINK: 2022 Housing Underproduction in the United States

Up for Growth® is a 501(c)(3) cross-sector member network committed to solving the housing shortage and affordability crisis through data-driven research and evidence-based policy.