Brief: What if Honolulu upzoned everywhere? Lessons for solving a housing crisis from Aotearoa
by Steven Bond-Smith, UHERO, September 10, 2026
In 2016, Auckland, in Aotearoa New Zealand, up-zoned ~75% of the city. As a result, permits went up ~80%, and after six years, rents were 22% lower than they otherwise would have been.
Auckland’s a useful case study for Honolulu: similar geography, population mix, initial zoning, and affordability.
So, a UHERO economist asked: what if Honolulu did the same, and got the same results?
Renters would save ~$500/month by 2032 (more for families in 3-bedrooms, $700+) — that’s equal to a ~$8,500/year pay raise per renting household. And most existing homeowners don’t lose out: many gain value from the new right to redevelop. New townhomes are more affordable and replenish the aging housing stock.
A rent cut of this size is like a massive pay rise that housing policy can deliver, even when wage growth doesn’t.
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