A tax on vacant units could provide housing crisis relief, if done right
Besides funding sources, taxes can be an excellent way of shifting behaviors; but getting rates and exemptions right is key to success.
Honolulu just moved to the forefront of vacation rental regulation
After 30 years, the county finally has the tools it needs to stop the proliferation of illegal short-term rentals.
Enforcement of vacation rental regulations would restore balance
More than one out of every 20 housing units statewide is now offered as a vacation rental; in some communities, as many as four out of every 10 housing units have been converted into STRs.
How high is too high? We actually know a lot about minimum wage increases
Raising the minimum wage would boost not just the pay of many struggling Hawaiʻi workers and their families; it would also boost the local economy.
Public charge rule change would hurt Hawaiʻi’s economy
Not only would the proposed rule change adversely impact the standard of living of Hawaiʻi’s immigrant families, it would also harm Hawaiʻi’s overall economy.
Hawaiʻi state budget highlights, 2017–19
Hawaiʻi’s budget is the blueprint for our current and future prosperity, and is an economic engine in itself, making up 20 percent of the state’s gross domestic product.
Coming soon: The Hawaiʻi Budget and Policy Center
Hawaiʻi Appleseed is creating a new think tank focused on research and analysis of state budget and tax policy—the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC).
Appleseed releases 2016 State of Poverty report
The report brings together the most recent available data to provide a snapshot of how low-income residents have fared after the economic recovery from the Great Recession.