DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS AND HEDGING ACTIVITIES (Impact of Financial Instruments on Statement of Operations) (Details) - Cash Flow Hedging - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments on the income statement
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI	$ 141	$ (877)	$ (15,975)	$ (979)
Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Earnings	(356)	(466)	(1,099)	(1,276)
Interest Expense
Effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments on the income statement
Amount of Gain (Loss) Reclassified from AOCI into Earnings	(356)	(466)	(1,099)	(1,276)
Interest Rate Swaps & Caps
Effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments on the income statement
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI	(203)	$ (877)	(1,409)	$ (979)
Forward Starting Swaps
Effect of the Company's derivative financial instruments on the income statement
Amount of Gain (Loss) Recognized in OCI	$ 344		$ (14,566)

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective portion of net gain (loss) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into income on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4C
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624171-113959

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 815
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4D
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624177-113959

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossReclassifiedFromAccumulatedOCIIntoIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The effective portion of gains and losses (net) on derivative instruments designated and qualifying as hedging instruments that was recognized in other comprehensive income during the current period.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossRecognizedInOtherComprehensiveIncomeEffectivePortionNet
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis=us-gaap_InterestExpenseMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=hhc_InterestRateSwapAndCapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_SwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: