Blog
Honolulu just moved to the forefront of vacation rental regulation
Once signed into law, Honolulu's Bill 89 will be the most progressive and comprehensive vacation rental regulation in the United States.
A tax on vacant units could provide housing crisis relief, if done right
On any given day, hundreds of Hawaiʻi residents struggling with homelessness can be found hanging on as best they can under the lengthy pall of Kakaʻako's modern day ivory towers.
Redefining poverty would throw millions off critical social support programs
The proposal to change how the poverty line is calculated would arbitrarily throw low-income Hawaiʻi residents off social support programs they rely on.
Enforcement of vacation rental regulations would restore balance
The Honolulu City Council is set to take up the short term rentals (STRs) issue again tomorrow with new drafts of Bills 85 and 89. Whichever bill ends up being prefered, it is imperative that the council include strong enforcement mechanism in any city ordinance it chooses to pass. This post covers what those regulations should look like, and why they're so critical.
How high is too high? We actually know a lot about minimum wage increases
If the wage rose to $17 by 2024, Hawai‘i's minimum and near-minimum wage workers would receive a total pay increase of over $1.3 billion to spend at local businesses.
Hawaii: not as good for women as it seems
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday, let’s remember that there’s a lot more to be done to improve the status of women, not only across the world but also at home in Hawai‘i.
Appleseed announces 2019 policy agenda
Each legislative session, Hawaiʻi Appleseed creates a policy agenda of actionable solutions to some of our state's most prevalent and entrenched social and economic problems. Based on the months of research we spend each year examining these critical issues, this agenda prioritizes efforts for maximum benefit to the community at-large.
February SNAP benefits will be distributed early due to government shutdown
The early distribution could result in major disruptions to household food budgets in the event that benefits run out before the next scheduled distribution in March. SNAP users are being cautioned to budget accordingly.
Farm bill protects SNAP, other critical nutrition programs
In a bipartisan agreement announced today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed (in a 369–47 vote) a farm bill agreement that supports the food security of nearly 170,000 Hawai‘i residents through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill passed both houses of Congress overwhelmingly and is now on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
The bipartisan bill also includes provisions that invest in our island’s…
Public charge rule change would hurt Hawaii’s economy
If federal benefits on this scale are withdrawn from Hawaiʻi’s economy, there would be predictable ripple effects to local businesses and workers. Withdrawal of SNAP funding means a reduction in spending in grocery stores and supermarkets. When families lose health insurance, hospitals and doctors lose income. And spending would be reduced in other areas as families struggle to pay food and health costs. FPI’s mid-level estimate shows a potential loss of $127 million in Hawaiʻi due to the ripple effects of this lost spending.