Mainlanders Are Filling Up Kauaʻi’s Low-Income Housing Waitlist – Honolulu Civil Beat

Report on Kauaʻi’s Section 8 Housing Program and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

This report details the administrative and financial challenges facing the Kauaʻi County Housing Agency’s Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program. The situation highlights critical issues related to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), by examining barriers to providing affordable and accessible housing for low-income families.

Challenges to Achieving SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The primary challenge is ensuring access to adequate, safe, and affordable housing, a key target of SDG 11. The current system is strained by administrative inefficiencies and a severe shortage of eligible housing units.

Waitlist Management and Inefficiency

The program’s waitlist has become unmanageable, impeding the efficient allocation of resources to local residents in need. An administrative purge is planned to address this issue.

• The waitlist has grown to over 3,000 applicants since it opened five years ago.
• A significant portion of applicants are non-residents, including individuals from mainland states.
• The number of applicants is more than triple the number of Section 8-eligible housing units available on the island (approximately 900).
• The agency plans to award approximately 30 new vouchers after refining the list.

Limited Housing Availability

A critical barrier to the program’s success and the achievement of SDG 11 is the limited pool of available rental units that accept Section 8 vouchers.

• Approximately 900 units on Kauaʻi are eligible for the Section 8 program.
• Currently, 856 households are enrolled, leaving very few vacancies for new voucher recipients.

Impact on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The Section 8 program is a vital tool for poverty alleviation (SDG 1) and reducing economic inequality (SDG 10) by making housing affordable. However, its stability is threatened by external economic and political factors.

Federal Funding Instability

The program’s reliance on federal funding creates significant vulnerability, particularly in the event of a government shutdown, which would directly undermine efforts to combat poverty.

• The program provides approximately $1.3 million monthly to assist 856 households.
• A federal shutdown threatens to halt funding by mid-to-late November.
• The county has limited reserve funds to cover the shortfall temporarily, but a prolonged shutdown would jeopardize housing for hundreds of families.
• This financial instability is compounded by threats to other social safety nets, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), affecting 168,000 Hawaiʻi residents.

Proposed Policy Changes

Potential federal policy changes could further restrict access to housing aid, exacerbating inequality (SDG 10).

• Proposed overhauls to the Section 8 program include the addition of work requirements and two-year time limits.
• Such changes could create significant barriers for vulnerable populations, undermining the program’s goal of providing a stable foundation for low-income families.

Strategic Administrative Response

In response to these challenges, the Kauaʻi Housing Agency is taking corrective measures to improve the program’s focus on local needs, directly supporting the goal of creating inclusive and sustainable communities (SDG 11).

Waitlist Reorganization Plan

The agency will implement a multi-step process to ensure housing vouchers are directed toward families in the local community.

1. Temporarily close the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program waiting list, effective November 6.
2. Conduct an administrative purge of the list to remove unresponsive and non-resident applicants.
3. Prioritize the allocation of new vouchers to eligible families residing on Kauaʻi.
4. Reopen a new, more accurate waiting list at a future date to better manage applications.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article directly addresses poverty by focusing on the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, which is a “lifeline for Kauaʻi families struggling to afford the island’s astronomical housing prices.” This program is a social protection system aimed at assisting low-income households, a core component of poverty reduction strategies.

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article connects housing insecurity to food insecurity by highlighting the impact of a federal government shutdown. It explicitly states that “roughly 168,000 Hawaiʻi residents will not receive their food stamps next month” and mentions the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It also notes that a low-income housing complex serves as a “Hawaiʻi Foodbank distribution site,” indicating residents’ need for food assistance.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The central theme of the article is the challenge of providing adequate and affordable housing. It discusses the long waitlist for housing vouchers, the insufficient number of “Section 8-eligible housing units on the island,” and the overall struggle for residents to find affordable places to live, which is a primary focus of SDG 11.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all… and achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.

   The article’s entire discussion revolves around the Section 8 program, a federally funded social protection system. The challenges described, such as funding shortfalls, long waitlists (“more than 3,000 applicants”), and the limited number of new vouchers (“about 30 new vouchers”), directly relate to the implementation and coverage of this system for the vulnerable population on Kauaʻi.

2. Target 2.1: By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round.

   This target is addressed when the article reports on the threat to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to a federal shutdown. The statement that “168,000 Hawaiʻi residents will not receive their food stamps” points directly to a disruption in access to food for a vulnerable population.

3. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services…

   This is the most prominent target. The article details the severe lack of affordable housing on Kauaʻi, evidenced by a waitlist that has “ballooned to include more than 3,000 applicants” for a housing pool of only “roughly 900 units.” The program’s goal to allow tenants to “put 30% of their income toward rent” is a direct measure aimed at ensuring housing affordability.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Yes, the article contains several quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress:

• For SDG 1 and SDG 11:
  • Number of households receiving housing assistance: The article states that the program assists “856 Kauaʻi households.” This is a direct measure of the program’s current reach.
  • Number of people on the housing waitlist: The list includes “more than 3,000 applicants,” indicating the gap between the need for and availability of housing assistance.
  • Supply of affordable housing units: The article specifies there are “roughly 900 units” in the island’s Section 8-eligible housing pool, which serves as an indicator of the available infrastructure.
  • Proportion of income spent on housing: The program’s structure, where “vouchers allow tenants to put 30% of their income toward rent,” is a direct reference to the standard measure of housing affordability.
  • Amount of financial assistance provided: The program provides “roughly $1.3 million a month” in rental subsidies, indicating the financial scale of the social protection system.
• For SDG 2:
  • Number of people reliant on food assistance: The figure of “168,000 Hawaiʻi residents” who may not receive food stamps is a clear indicator of the population vulnerable to food insecurity.
  • Reliance on food banks: The mention of a low-income housing complex being a “Hawaiʻi Foodbank distribution site” implies a high level of food insecurity among its residents, serving as a qualitative indicator of need.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: civilbeat.org