Homeownership is a sign of economic prosperity. For Native Hawaiians, homeownership may not only be personally momentous, but culturally significant as it can mean the opportunity to reaffirm and perpetuate ancestral ties to one’s kulāiwi (homeland).
The Median Family Income, or MFI, provides a population measure of average family income in which 50% of incomes are higher, and 50% of incomes are lower. Income includes all earnings, assistance payments and pensions for a 12 month period, for all those in the family who are age 15 or older.
Renters: The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) definition of affordability is for a household to pay no more than 30% of income on housing costs. Households that spend more are considered “cost-burdened” because they have less to spend on other necessities (HUD, 2012).
