Advocates weigh whether property tax increase could help house homeless

Anti-poverty advocates at the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice don't think so.

“Taxation is an issue that we look at a lot and we are very concerned about it because Hawaiʻi has the second-highest tax rate in the nation for people in poverty,” said Gavin Thornton, co-executive director of the center.

Instead of an across-the-board tax hike to address homelessness, Thornton suggests raising fees for non-residents with second homes in the islands.

“One idea floating around out there is to increase property taxes in a way that really targets those non-resident owners. Twenty-five percent of our homes are sold to non-residents. On Maui that figure is 50 percent,” Thornton said. “Not only would it raise revenue but it would discourage non resident purchases of property in Hawaiʻi.”