House bill seeks to boost housing development for Hawaii, Guam

By Pacific Island Times News Staff

A bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representatives proposing additional incentives for residential project development could help mitigate Guam's housing shortage, according to Guam Del. James Moylan.

“As America’s westernmost territory, we face unique development constraints and higher construction costs," he said.

Rep Ed Case, a Democrat from Hawaii, has introduced the Transit-Oriented Development Act, which seeks to drive greater development of affordable housing in areas designated for transit-oriented development in high-cost non-contiguous U.S. jurisdictions, including Hawaii, Alaska, Guam and other U.S. territories.

“The affordable housing shortage remains one of the most significant drivers of the unacceptably high cost of living facing most Americans,” Case said. 

The housing crisis is particularly acute in Hawaii, he said, noting that housing costs "consume an outsized share of household income, forcing working families to make impossible choices between rent, groceries and health care."

Moylan, the bill's co-author, noted that Guam shares the same predicament.

“For families on Guam, the challenge isn’t just finding affordable housing—it’s finding housing that keeps them connected to jobs, schools, healthcare and essential services,” Moylan said.

"This bipartisan legislation recognizes those realities by strengthening incentives to build affordable housing in communities where transportation and opportunity come together," he added.

The bill, Moylan said, seeks to ensure federal housing policy also suits Guam and other island communities.

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The Transit Oriented Development Act would enhance the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit for affordable housing projects built in areas served by rail, bus, harbor or waterway transportation and zoned for higher-density development, according to a news release from Case’s office.

While the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit is one of the most successful federal tools for financing affordable rental housing, Case said the program's current allocation structure does not always reflect the significant differences in housing

costs and development challenges that exist across the U.S.

He argued that because allocations are based principally on population, communities facing exceptionally high housing costs often face greater difficulty producing affordable housing despite having substantial need.

In Hawaii, Case said, several families find themselves priced out of the housing market.

"To truly address affordability, we must not only increase the supply of housing but do so in ways that reflect the unique economic realities of our communities and lower overall living costs for families," the congressman from Hawaii said. "That means building housing that is attainable, affordable, well-located and connected to jobs and services.”

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