HONOLULU, Sept. 16 -- The University of Hawaii issued the following news release:
About 12,000 low-income households acrossHawaiʻirely on Housing Choice Vouchers, commonly known as Section 8, to help pay rent. But a newUniversity ofHawaiʻiEconomic Research Organization(UHERO) report finds the program is facing growing financial pressure as rising rents make it increasingly expensive to help families.
Federal spending onHawaiʻi's tenant-based vouchers more than tripled from about $55 million in 2003 to approximately $170 million in 2024, which represents a 70% increase even after accounting for inflation. Yet the number of families receiving assistance has grown only modestly.
The reason is simple:Hawaiʻirents have cli...