Off the news: State gets $6.6M housing grant from fed

Hawaii is getting a federal boost for its efforts to encourage more affordable “infill” development in commercial and residential areas, with a $6.6 million federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to finance infrastructure improvements and to seek out and remove more obstacles to development.

The grant was announced Wednesday at a Honolulu news conference with U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz, who sponsored the federal legislation allocating the housing money, alongside Gov. Josh Green and HUD Pacific Region administrator, Jason Pu. A new round of funding is coming, Pu said, encouraging Hawaii to apply.