RISE Bonds on the ballot: What a Constitutional Amendment can—and can’t—do for Hawaiʻi
Question 2 on your ballot would let counties use RISE bonds to fund infrastructure. Here's what the ConAm can—and can't—do for Hawaiʻi.
Unburden the burdened: Why Hawaiʻi should expand its rental voucher program
Because vouchers target need rather than tenure, they avoid the market distortions that come with rent caps—and don’t create incentives to push tenants out.
When safety becomes exclusion: The hidden cost of building codes
The code that claims to make buildings safer also quietly makes the densest, most affordable housing types the hardest and most expensive to build.
The great Skyline adventure: Hawaiʻi Appleseed tests the walkability of areas around rail stops
Success will require partnership across state and county lines, but the goal is shared: turning the areas around rail lines and high capacity bus routes into places where people can live, work and meet daily needs without the necessity of getting back into a car.
Ditch the equity cap: How to make “locals-only” housing actually work
When outside demand is effectively infinite, deed restrictions that focus on creating a diverse resident-owner base across multiple housing types—rather than just capping prices—do more to shift the market toward locals than any single “affordable” building will.
A path to more affordable housing: Rethinking county rules
County governments control what gets built through zoning, and through lengthy discretionary approvals. Both levers have historically been used to restrict supply.
Hawaiʻi already has the tools to create a locals-only housing market; we just need to use them
Whether buying a first home, renting, or selling within the community, local people should have the advantage. Housing should function as a home—not as a global commodity.
We need to talk about inclusionary zoning
Inclusionary Zoning is a band-aid solution to a crisis that demands major surgery. It’s time to confront why this policy hasn’t worked—and what we should do instead.
Transformative housing bills went nowhere this legislative session, but small wins keep hope alive
With federal cuts looming and home prices still climbing, the stakes have never been higher. One thing is clear: Hawaiʻi’s families can’t afford another session of half-measures.
How to fix Honolulu’s Empty Homes Tax proposal
A newly released report commissioned by the county council demonstrates the need to align Honolulu’s policy proposal with demonstrated best practices.
Two truths in tension: Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis and the urgent need for anti-displacement measures
We should reject the false choice between growth and protection, we can do both. Anti-displacement policies like HB1325 ensure that, as we build for the future, we don’t abandon our present.
Legislature makes historic investments in housing for Hawaiʻi’s most vulnerable
This sessions’ successes must be only the first of many steps toward a Hawaiʻi in which housing is affordable and available to all.
Housing discrimination is holding many of Hawaiʻi’s families back—here’s one way to fix it
One category of individual is still frequently discriminated against when seeking housing: people with housing choice vouchers.
Affordable housing—Hawaiʻi’s biggest challenge—requires comprehensive solutions
A new housing coalition is working to shape the start of a comprehensive and inclusive housing policy plan to finally address Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing crisis.
Making Hawaiʻi's housing market work for local residents
Investors are buying up more of Hawaiʻi’s homes than ever before because our current system encourages them to do so—that’s bad for our economy in the long run.
How to make housing affordable to local buyers: Lessons from ALOHA Homes
Highlights from the interim ALOHA Homes study, commissioned by the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC).
Keeping Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing units affordable
Not only are we not building enough affordable homes to begin with, but we are also failing to maintain the affordability of many of the for-sale homes which were created.
What the Kawainui project tells us about Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing problems
Affordable housing needs to be integrated with market-priced housing, and we must maintain the supply of affordable housing even in owner-occupied units.