By Staff Reports
(Honolulu)– From October 22–24, 2025, the Center for Public Enterprise (CPE) visited Honolulu to collaborate with the Department of Housing and Land Management (DHLM) and partners across City and State government on strategies to make housing more affordable and attainable for local families.
Over the course of three days, CPE met with members of the City administration, Honolulu City Council, and key partners from the State of Hawai‘i, along with representatives from the development community, financial and banking sector, and housing advocacy organizations. The series of meetings created a valuable forum for cross-sector collaboration—bringing together public officials, developers, and community advocates to share ideas and challenges from multiple perspectives.
CPE, a national nonprofit research and policy organization, works with cities and states across the country to strengthen public institutions and identify innovative approaches to community investment. Their Honolulu visit was part of an ongoing collaboration with DHLM to explore public financing tools, and development strategies that could expand the City’s capacity to produce and preserve affordable housing.
Throughout the visit, CPE facilitated discussions on social housing models, community investment funds, and cross-sector financing mechanisms successfully implemented in other U.S. cities. The sessions highlighted how Honolulu could adapt these approaches to fit Hawai‘i’s unique housing market and economic conditions—leveraging City-owned lands, public-private partnerships, and targeted investment to accelerate housing production.
“Finding new ways to finance housing is one of the biggest challenges we face as a City,” said Kevin Auger, Director of Housing and Land Management. “Working with partners like CPE helps us expand our toolbox and think beyond traditional funding models to create solutions that work for our residents.”
The visit also reinforced DHLM’s commitment to aligning the City’s housing strategy with long-term financial sustainability and community-driven development goals, ensuring that every public dollar invested delivers lasting value for Honolulu’s people.