Legislature shows support for local agriculture, food security
Food security advocates are also celebrating policies that will make it easier for kūpuna and inmates nearing the end of their sentences to participate in SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
What pushes locals out of Hawaiʻi? Low wages
The Honolulu Charter Commission has a once-in-a-decade opportunity to address the county’s crisis.
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.
Economic prosperity rises from the bottom up
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice looks at the recent legislative session's hits and misses in this Community Voice column for Aloha State Daily.
Honolulu can fine Airbnb, Vrbo for illegal vacation rentals. It never has
Like other tourist destinations, Honolulu passed a law to hold booking platforms accountable for illegal listings. But the city hasn’t cited any company, even as illegal rentals flourish.
Housing: Lawmakers fund more housing, not special treatment for locals
Housing advocates unsuccessfully pushed for bills that would have given cash incentives for deed restrictions that require a property owner to be a resident working in the state.
End burdensome school impact fees, put funds to good use
Bringing the overall cost of development down is critical to meet demand, and one way to help is by eliminating costly and ineffective school impact fees.
State collects money from home builders for new schools. It’s never spent a dime
Lawmakers and housing advocates say the fee should be eliminated because the state hasn’t used the money. DOE says the rules on spending it are too restrictive.
Hawaiʻi wants to purchase voluntary deed restrictions to preserve more homes for locals
This new approach would help buffer Hawaiʻi homes from speculation and encourage more locals to actively contribute to addressing the Islands’ housing challenges.
Hawaiʻi affordable housing demand is sky high, but not at one tower
Several factors may have made the affordable condos—mostly studios and some one- and two-bedroom units—unattractive to prospective buyers meeting requirements under city rules that include not earning much above the median income on Oʻahu.
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.
Suit filed against Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority
The suit makes claims of hazardous conditions and discriminatory obstacles at Kuhio Park Terrace and Kuhio Homes.
State’s a slumlord, suit says
The suit alleges tenants are living in squalid, unsanitary conditions, with elevators that don’t work, apartments infested by roaches and rats and faulty sewage lines that cause brown wastewater to fill housing units.