The city plans to bring in a pro bono consultant as early as this month to act as a liaison between affordable housing developers and government offices.

The position could later be made permanent in the mayor's office and command near Cabinet-level wages, city Department of Community Services Director Debbie Kim Morikawa told members of the City Council's affordable housing committee Thursday.

Installing the liaison in the mayor's office was one of the nine recommendations included in a city-commissioned report on affordable housing, which was released on June 22 and written by 19 for-profit and nonprofit developers, federal officials and land use planners.

Other suggestions in the report urged increasing density and better infrastructure near proposed rail transit stations, streamlining permitting for developers and promoting incentives to build affordable housing, like tax exemptions and federal grants.

Members of the committee addressed City Council members Thursday, saying it was vital the city start making the process of building affordable housing easier — and more appealing to developers. "I think the affordable housing crisis will continue," said Marvin Awaya, of the Pacific Housing Assistance Corp. "I've not seen a slackening off."

Todd Apo, chairman of the committee, said he backed the hiring of a full-time "special assistant" to the mayor on housing. But, he added, money is tight.

He also said he supported increasing density in certain urban areas, especially around potential sites for rail transit stations. "It needs to be a surgical process," he said. "We really don't want to take a broad brush in increasing density."

Chuck Wathen, of Pier Management Hawaii, said the city needs to move quickly to increase affordable housing. Baby boomers are retiring, creating job openings, he said, but they are not vacating their homes and new hires are having a hard time finding places to live.

"It is hard to attract the talent to support this community," said Wathen, who helped write the city report. "The socio-economic fabric of the city is threatened at this point."

Councilman Nestor Garcia applauded the report's recommendations, but said many constituents had concerns about unending development. "How much more can we take?" he asked the report's authors. "Are we going to lose our sense of place?"

Craig Watase, of Mark Development, Inc., agreed that increasing densities in urban Ho-nolulu would undoubtedly change the city's landscape.

But, he added, "we have the capacity to grow."

Reach Mary Vorsino at mvorsino@honoluluadvertiser.com.