An Opportunity to Increase Home Ownership in Hawaii
Our partners are essential to the success of the Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center. They contribute to the Center’s ability to achieve its mission.
Partners of the Center include organizations that wants to see home ownership in Hawai‘i increase. They include: banks and other lenders, developers, government agencies, home improvement companies, insurance companies and agents, nonprofit agencies, REALTORS®, mortgage brokers, and title companies.
Home ownership is good for business.
• Assisting 250 new homeowners will result in $16 million to lenders over a 10 year period
• Revenue to real estate professionals associated with selling 250 new lower cost homes is $3 million
• Constructing 250 new homes results in more than 600 new jobs
Key contributions to our partners:
• Provides an avenue to meet the Community Reinvestment Act goal of serving low- and moderate-income households
• Tax benefits for businesses & individuals
• Stronger communities result in better business
THE OPPORTUNITY
Home ownership rates on ‘Oahu has hovered around 61% over the past ten years. National rates are around 69%.
Home ownership strengthens communities and families.
• Homeowners live in one location four times longer than renters
• Homeowners are more likely than renters to vote and volunteer in their community schools, neighborhood associations and other community organizations
• Homeowners' children are more likely to go to college and more likely to become homeowners themselves
Home ownership is good for business.
• Assisting 250 new homeowners will result in $16 million to lenders over a 10 year period
• Revenue to real estate professionals associated with selling 250 new lower cost homes is $3 million
• Constructing 250 new homes results in more than 600 new jobs
THE MARKET
Of 68,300 aspiring Hawaii home buyers, 24,885 said they could afford their projected monthly mortgage payment but did not have enough down payment (Housing Demand Survey, 2019).
Market research in Hawai'i identified five major barriers to home ownership.
• Income in relationship to the cost of housing
• Too much debt
• No down payment
• Lack of information about the value of and how to become a homeowner
• Feeling of hopelessness
Home ownership centers in other communities have been successful in reaching lower income and underrepresented groups of new homeowners, such as single women and ethnic minorities. In addition, home ownership centers in other communities have been successful in producing default-resistant new homeowners.
THE SERVICE
49% (69,465) of households in Hawaii who want to move to a different housing situation said they wanted to buy their next home – 17% of those who said that admitted they were unsure they could afford homeownership (Housing Demand Survey, 2019).
The Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center is a “one-stop shop” for potential new homeowners. The primary services offered by the Center are:
• Home buyer education
• One-on-one coaching
• Individual counseling regarding credit issues and debt reduction
• Financial literacy
• Referral to professional services
• Post-purchase counseling
• Homeowners workshops
The Hawai‘i HomeOwnership Center serves O‘ahu, and the Big Island with a mix of face-to-face, online, and phone services. Kauai and Maui counties receive online and phone services.
For information about becoming a Hawai’i HomeOwnership Center Partner, call Reina Miyamoto, Executive Director, at (808) 523-8116 or e-mail reina@hihomeownership.org