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.
Honolulu empty homes tax proposal advances
At 3 percent, annual revenue could be about $180 million, according to a recent estimate from Hawaiʻi Appleseed.
Report backs empty-homes tax to address housing crisis on Oʻahu
To address investment-driven purchases and support affordable housing for working families, Appleseed recommended a 3–5 percent tax, which could generate annual revenue ranging from $183 million to $305 million.
Short term rentals, long term issues for Hawaiʻi County
According to an analysis by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, one in 24 homes on Hawaiʻi Island are short term rentals – 52% of which are owned by non-Hawaiʻi residents.
An Oʻahu teacher’s futile apartment hunt shows how bad the rental market is
Housing policy advocates say Helen Lau's story is all too common amid Honolulu's housing crisis.
Rethinking Hawaiʻi’s conveyance tax
Hawaiʻi stands at the critical decision point in investing in our housing needs: The enactment of HB2364 holds the promise of a brighter, more inclusive future for all residents.
Agreement on affordable housing
Oʻahu developers will no longer be able to buy their way out of providing affordable housing, because of a bill passed by the Honolulu City Council.
New Honolulu housing bill seeks the middle ground
The City Council passed a measure Wednesday that includes concessions to both housing advocates and developers.
Honolulu affordable housing bill advances without "in lieu of construction fee"
The latest proposal to increase affordable housing on Oʻahu advanced today at the Honolulu City Council.
Waikiki condo seeks to ban short-term rentals
A battle is brewing at Waikiki Lanais over whether the condo board can ban short-term vacation rentals; the practice has been going on there for decades.
Report claims Hawaiʻi vacation rental units have increased 35 percent in past two years
Hawaiʻi’s inventory of vacation rental units increased 35 percent to 23,000 from 2015 to 2017, according to a report by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice.
Law allowing more B&B permits and stiffer regulations on the way
One out of every 24 housing units in Hawaiʻi is now being used as a vacation rental, and at least 52 percent of vacation rentals are owned by nonresidents.
Senate Ways & Means chair blocks a bill to raise minimum wage to $15 an hour
A proposed bill would bump the minimum wage to $12.25 in 2019, then to $15 in 2020, but a committee chair says he won't hear the bill without more research.
Gradually raise minimum wage
The call for a minimum wage that keeps pace with cost-of-living price tags will never go away.
City searches for a way to encourage affordable housing near rail stops
The council considers a bill Wednesday to give developers a break on zoning laws if they sell almost a third of their units as affordable housing.