A group of young professionals on Oahu toured new affordable housing projects to learn why homes there cost so much, a small but hopeful step in a market that keeps pushing locals off the island.

• The tour visited D.R. Horton's master-planned community in Ewa, where a new one-bedroom condo starts around $500,000.
• Some buildings mix homes and shops in the same space, a zoning approach meant to serve buyers that standard houses and condos have missed.
• Young locals say homes are simply out of reach, and friends and family keep leaving Hawaii.
• Organizers say there is no bridge between young people and the officials making housing decisions, and schools do not teach enough about buying a home.

Outlook: The group plans to present a local housing plan at a cost-of-living summit on October 15.