Kaulana Mahina, a new affordable rental project in Wailuku, drew heavy demand for 195 affordable units: Some 447 applications were received for the lottery.

It’s a smallish but positive step toward alleviating the desperate need for affordable housing on the Valley Isle, which was exacerbated by the Lahaina and Kula fires. It’s worth noting that state and county approvals were sought as early as 2017, with a 2021 completion date. Now completion is expected in 2024.

The state and county can and should work harder to expedite building permits for needed housing, without cutting corners. Surely it shouldn’t take years.