What is ‘Smart Growth?’

You might have heard the term ‘smart growth’ in the news cycle over the past few years, especially as it pertains to Hawai’i’s ongoing housing crisis. But what is smart growth housing, exactly, and how can it benefit us?

In a nutshell, smart growth entails a range of development and conservation strategies that both help to protect our natural environment and make our communities sustainable, strong, and socially diverse, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. It’s a philosophy that encompasses nearly every aspect of our daily lives—where we live, our homes and neighborhoods, the economic and social health of the greater community—and considers the larger needs of our communities within the planning and construction of new neighborhoods. 

Smart growth principles reflect the need to utilize creative strategies that harmonize the preservation of the `aina while also providing more opportunities for our island kama’aina to become homeowners, a process that many have been denied access to because of exploding prices in the real estate marketplace. 

In our previous blog about infill housing, or the repurposing of open space within an already-existing neighborhood, we shared that smart growth planning often entails the development of missing middle housing—which is termed ‘missing’ due to the lack of these units being built over the past few decades– to help to meet the ongoing need for affordable housing options within the community. These units often have a much smaller footprint than single-family homes and can seamlessly blend into their surrounding area by creating more overall housing density and decreasing the need for transportation costs by being built into existent, walkable neighborhoods.

Alaula is committed to empowering the residents of our local communities to become homeowners and is also utilizing smart growth principles in every aspect of design, construction, and layout for all our planned neighborhoods, including Hale Kaiola:

• Centralized locations near to important access hubs and amenities to cut down on commute times and pollution from transportation

• Infill designs and layouts to utilize existing spaces within the neighborhood

• Utilizing green building principles, from the materials used to the layout of the neighborhood itself, to maximize natural shading and other naturally occurring resources

• Fostering distinct, attractive housing units with a strong sense of place and of culture

• Helping the members of our local community to build their equity and become homeowners

• Quality construction and affordable housing for the underserved communities of Maui County

Which, speaking of Hale Kaiola: have you completed your application yet? Applications will be accepted through February 28th at 5 PM, and our lottery for housing selection will take place on March 4th per our new timeline!

We’ve partnered with Hawaiian Community Assets, an outstanding local nonprofit, to help applicants with everything from financial counseling to down payment assistance—and it’s absolutely free! There’s still time to connect with them for a wide range of benefits, including the mandatory Homebuyers class that is a requirement for all successful Hale Kaiola applicants to complete. 

Don’t forget to head over to our new FAQ page for more information regarding Hale Kaiola, the application process, and much more. 

Aloha nui!