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Last month, Hawaii county’s adoption of Bill 123 showed how to balance the protection of our environmental resources with our chronic housing needs.

will allow homeowners to build up to three accessory dwelling units on their properties. By allowing for increased density in urban areas with existing infrastructure, we are enabling the much-needed development of housing options for local families while protecting the environment.

This legislation marks a turning point in how we approach demand for local workforce housing. Rather than looking to the government to subsidize the development of housing, which can cost on average more than half-a-million dollars per unit, private landowners can maximize the use of already developed areas to build units that are more affordable because the land has already been paid for.

Bill 123 is historic because it shows that the right housing policies promote environmental resilience, efficient land use, and more affordable housing.

Keep Country Country, Have Food Security

Urban sprawl has long been a threat to Hawaii County’s native habitats and food systems. With the growing need for housing, we have seen the conversion of our forested and agricultural areas to residential subdivisions for decades.

Since 1778, Hawaii Island has lost more than half of its native habitats, including forests, due the conversion of natural landscapes for other uses.

The island’s forests are a key part of our state’s “carbon sink,” meaning they remove the carbon produced by emissions from transportation, energy production, waste management, and other sources.

In addition, Hawaii County has more recently seen the rapid gentrification of our agricultural lands. The importation of the vast majority of Hawaii’s food, not only generates emissions, it makes our food systems vulnerable to outside events beyond our control.

Without efficient land use policy in the urban areas that encourages density, urban sprawl will only hasten the pace of indigenous habitat loss over the next century. Furthermore, by ensuring that agricultural land does not get converted to residential use, and ensuring that additional housing on agricultural land is tied to agricultural activity we protect valuable agricultural lands and incentivize local food production.

Tackling Climate Change

Meanwhile, our islands are on the global frontline of climate change.

The challenges posed by climate change in Hawaii are not abstract. They are immediate and pressing. Hurricanes, prolonged periods of drought, and wildfires are among the real threats facing Hawaii County every year.

Released on June 30, 2023, Hawaii County’s is a blueprint for taking action on making Hawaii County more resilient to the impacts of climate change.

In doing so, the ICAP makes the case for efficient housing solutions. Urban sprawl negatively impacts our climate and increases the cost of living for the average resident. According to the ICAP, 71.4% of our island’s workers rely on individual transportation sources, like an automobile, to travel to work.

This decision is not a choice for many people, but a necessity. In Hawaii County, the average worker annually pays at least $8,100 to cover transportation costs before taxes.

Closer communities with shared roads, electrical utilities, wastewater and other services are most environmentally friendly because they require fewer resources.

Increased urban efficiency means less carbon emissions as a result of driving, shorter distances of travel, and less general reliance on vehicles.

New Approaches To Housing

Bill 123 not only addresses our pressing housing needs, but also invites us to reimagine how urban efficiency can serve as a cornerstone of our environmental strategy.

Instead of expanding housing development into our island’s forests and agricultural lands, Bill 123 turns our focus in the housing development sector towards those areas where Hawaii County has already permitted development and has existing infrastructure.

In other words, Bill 123 is a benchmark for promoting climate friendly and sustainable land use practices.

Instead of expanding our urban footprint into natural and agricultural landscapes, Bill 123 allows us to make better use of the land we already have designated for residential use, creating efficient living spaces that support more residents without sacrificing our environmental integrity.

By embedding environmental consciousness into our growth plans, we will create housing solutions that harmonize with our natural surroundings, rather than disrupt them.

Opportunities Ahead

As individuals construct ADUs on existing housing lots, this is the time for local government, developers, and residents to identify the best practices that support both housing needs and environmental stewardship.

Similarly, it is time for the environmental community to recognize that good housing policy is necessary to protect our critical habitats and environmental resources.

Bill 123, after all, comes with safeguards to protect agricultural lands. On parcels zoned for agricultural purposes by the State Land Use Commission, dwellings must still comply with state law, meaning they may only be used to house individuals associated with agricultural activities.

Furthermore, home owners must also meet the state Department of Health’s wastewater requirements. For properties that are serviced by individual wastewater systems, this may mean converting to a septic system if they have an existing cesspool or adding an additional septic system if they plan to have more than five bedrooms.

We don’t need to develop new parcels of land to build more housing. We need more legislation like Bill 123 across the state of Hawaii. We need to support good housing policy as one aspect of good climate policy.