Hawaii’s affordable housing programs are designed to address one of the state’s most critical challenges: providing pathways to homeownership for working-class residents. However, excessive red tape means these programs are falling short, deterring the homebuyers they are designed for.

The first problem is accessibility. Prospective homeowners must complete a time-intensive application process. Applicants start all over when applying for other projects even if it is for the same housing program because of the lack of a uniform application process. This red tape discourages participation and leaves many prospective buyers feeling disillusioned.

Technicalities become the next major hurdle. Review and response of applications can take two to four months and oftentimes without clear justification of denial. If approved, prospective homeowners live in limbo between choosing their home and waiting for it to be built. For example, one young couple waited nearly three years, only for the state to disqualify them right before closing because their household size increased with the addition of their newborn son. Forcing young families to choose between affordable housing or growing their families is counterproductive.

Another key issue is marketability. The term “affordable housing” itself is riddled with controversy and misunderstanding. The definition of affordable is debatable; the need to bolster housing for the middle class is not. The low-income connotation makes these programs seem unattractive when, in fact, they are a crucial lifeline for the working-class homebuyer.

Finally, state and county agencies must remember that the goal of these programs is to get working-class families into affordable homes — not deter them. Long review periods and unnecessary administrative hurdles contribute to the rising costs of housing, as delays increase development expenses. The state’s heavy-handed approach is deterring positive development and prospective homebuyers are stuck with the costs.

Take, for example, the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp.’s handling of the “The Block 803” project in Kakaako. With the developer struggling to sell units under the HHFDC’s affordable housing program, HHFDC’s potential foreclosure and unsuccessful request to exempt itself from the income and eligibility restrictions it imposed on the development are an implicit acknowledgment of how cumbersome those restrictions are. If the state finds its own restrictions unworkable when selling homes, how can we expect developers to use the program?

Hawaii’s affordable housing programs hold enormous potential, but they must be reformed. Here are some suggestions:

>> Centralize the application process. State agencies should establish a unified online portal where applicants can reuse their application for future projects, valid for an extended period. This database of applicants can easily connect them to other opportunities as projects are built. Data collected from this portal can be used to identify friction points for applicants. These seem like tasks well-suited for the state’s new chief information officer, Christine Sakuda, and Transform Hawaii Government, the nonprofit she used to lead.

>> Streamline qualifying criteria for workforce housing programs. Studies have shown that condo projects built with nominal income, asset and occupancy restrictions can effectively create housing for the demographic intended. Take for example 801 South, a high-rise off of Kapiolani Boulevard. Ten years after construction, studies have found that the current occupants primarily consist of the same income band as intended despite being a project with nominal restrictions.

>> Appropriately rename housing programs. Currently, Honolulu County’s and the state HHFDC’s housing programs are called “affordable housing,” which is associated with low-income housing — vastly different from their intended function of supporting middle-income professions like engineers or nurses. For example, the Hawaii Community Development Authority’s program is called “reserved housing.” This small change can create large shifts in the conversation and perception of these programs and in turn, increasing adoption rates.

It’s time for the state to acknowledge these shortcomings and make the necessary changes. Hawaii’s future depends on our ability to keep homeownership within reach.

Lee Wang is deputy executive director of Housing Hawaii’s Future; he has worked for 14 years in residential real estate.