Luxury home tax pitch to fund Hawaiian Homes flopped. Now what?
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands came away with some funds but will need to look for other revenue sources.
Tax fairness promoted in bills would implement major changes
The Hawaii Tax Fairness Coalition is advocating for bills that would make major changes to the state’s income tax, capital gains tax, real estate sales tax and a tax on income for real estate investment trusts.
Hawaiʻi coalition calls for tax fairness for local needs
As Hawaiʻi struggles to meet growing needs in housing, education, health care and climate resilience, a broad coalition of community groups, labor unions and nonprofit advocates is pushing lawmakers to confront a long-standing question: how to pay for it.
Escalating climate disasters could make homes uninsurable, new report warns
Hawaiʻi is facing a rapidly escalating insurance crisis driven by climate change, aging housing, and a sharp retreat by private insurers, according to a new report released by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice.
Green suggests Hawaiʻi might scale back on income tax cuts
The governor also says he will likely tap into the state’s “rainy day” reserve to draw down hundreds of millions of dollars to balance the state budget.
Why does Hawaiʻi have a GET?
The General Excise Tax. We all know it, we all complain about it, especially the way it stacks up in transaction after transaction, raising prices. But there was a time when it didn't exist at all. Here's a look at who created it, when, and, most importantly, why.
More Hawaiʻi residents are going hungry, new statewide report shows
The report was produced at a time when food security was bad in Hawaiʻi. But now, advocates say, it’s even worse.
New federal rules ramp up the pressure on people who count on food stamps
Thousands of people in Hawaiʻi will be cut from the program entirely or face additional hurdles, including added work requirements.
Mom-and-pop stores losing EBT customers struggle to survive
It’s not only making it harder for families to put food on their tables. It’s also affecting people’s livelihoods.
Raise your awareness with the Hawaiʻi Budget Primer 2024
The pamphlet’s cover page says that it is written for “Candidates, Elected Officials and Concerned Members of the Public.” Lots of us in the public should be concerned. It’s your money, after all. The work is easy to understand and is a worthwhile reference.
Lawmakers, nonprofit holding virtual forum to educate, engage public in crafting Hawaiʻi’s People’s Budget
On Sunday, state lawmakers will host a virtual forum in partnership with Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice to discuss crafting of a “People’s Budget” for the 2025 legislative session.
A Hawaiʻi state budget for dummies
In case you haven’t noticed, Hawaiʻi’s state budget is a very difficult thing to make sense of unless you’re trained as a forensic accountant. Thankfully, the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center has released a Budget Primer to make things simpler.
Governor Green enacts historic tax relief for working class
Taxpayers could see higher paychecks starting next year. However, the tax cuts raise concerns about how the state will manage to balance the budget in the years ahead.
Housing project residents file suits
The suit filed in U.S. District Court claims the authority failed to meet standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act.
Cold water plagues Mayor Wright residents
Unless the government pays up soon, Mayor Wright residents may file a lawsuit to force the issue, said Victor Geminiani of Lawyers for Equal Justice.
Public housing: Deplorable conditions demand action
For years, Kuhio Park Terrace and Kuhio Homes have been plagued by neglect and conditions making them unfit to live in by almost any standard.
State must live up to public housing safety goals
Among the responsibilities of state government is to help provide basic needs for citizens’ whose own means fall short. Where shelter is concerned, the state acknowledges this through its public housing projects.
It’s time to step it up on public housing
Last week, tenants filed class-action lawsuits against the Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority for its continuous failure to comply with federal laws mandating fair treatment for disabled residents and to remedy the substandard living conditions they are forced to endure every day.
Public housing neglect threatens tenant safety
The problems at two state projects aren't cosmetic—they are real threats to tenants’ health and safety and should not be disregarded.
Kuhio housing residents sue
The federal case alleges that the public housing project violates the American with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act and the Fair Housing Act. The state case alleges a breach of obligation by the state under its warranty of habitability.