Statement on SB2423 and HB1734

March 6th, 2026

“Hawaiʻi’s housing shortage is real, urgent, and personal. Families are leaving, rents continue to rise, and the pressure to build more housing is justified. I support increasing housing supply because the cost of living is pushing out the very people who make our communities work. We need more homes across Oʻahu, including higher density housing where it makes sense, and we must ensure those homes are attainable for local families. 

My concern with SB2423 and HB1734 is not about protecting any one neighborhood. The State’s Urban District classification includes communities across the island, from Salt Lake and Makakilo to Kāneʻohe, Kailua, Wahiawā, and Hawaiʻi Kai. These bills remove the ability of counties to plan growth responsibly.  

Honolulu is already expanding housing through zoning updates, transit oriented development, and community based planning that allows more homes in appropriate locations to coordinate housing with infrastructure such as roads, water systems, schools, police, fire, and emergency services. That coordination is the reason community plans exist in the first place. These plans were built through years of public input and are already designed to accommodate future housing. 

The issue with these bills is that they impose a one size mandate across the State. Allowing smaller lot sizes statewide does not guarantee homes for working families. It increases development potential and often increases land values overnight. That dynamic can attract outside investors and speculative buyers while doing little to improve affordability for residents. 

We absolutely need more housing. But housing policy must produce real homes for residents, not simply increase land values and speculation. Build more housing, require affordability, align growth with infrastructure capacity, and keep communities involved in shaping their future.”  - Council Chair Tommy Waters.

This official statement was submitted to Civil Beat.

Reporter: Denby Fwcett | ARTICLE