Native Hawaiians flock to Las Vegas for affordable living
Native Hawaiians who have been priced out of Hawaii are finding more affordable places to live in cities like Las Vegas
By JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER
Published - Jan 22, 2023, 01:06 PM ET
Last Updated - Jun 23, 2023, 01:28 AM EDT
KAPOLEI, Hawaii (AP) — Kona Purdy never wanted to live anywhere but Hawaii. As a Native Hawaiian, he wanted his children to grow up like he did: rooted in their culture, and nourished by the mountains and ocean.
But raising a family in Hawaii meant squeezing nine people into a four-bedroom house — rented with extended family — in Waipahu, a Honolulu suburb. It felt cramped, but the Purdys accepted that this was the price to survive in their homeland.
“We stuffed ourselves into one room,” Purdy said of his four-member family's living arrangements.
Their share of the monthly rent was $2,300. When rent increased, the Purdys realized that they could no longer afford to live in Hawaii.
