A former Honolulu office building has been turned into 64 affordable rental apartments, good news for lower-income workers who want to live near jobs in Waikiki.

• An empty office building was converted into 64 new rental units instead of being torn down or left vacant.
• The units are studios, one-bedrooms, and two-bedrooms, set aside for people earning up to 80% of the area's average income.
• The location is a short bike or bus ride from Waikiki, putting thousands of jobs, shops, and services within reach.
• Office-to-housing conversions like this are becoming a common way to add homes in expensive cities without building from scratch.

Outlook: Expect more empty office buildings in Hawaii and elsewhere to be pitched as affordable housing as demand for office space stays weak.