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.
Report: Number of Hawaiʻi vacation rental homes is rising
About one in 24 homes in Hawaiʻi is a vacation rental, which is contributing to the state’s shortage of affordable housing, according to Hawaiʻi Appleseed.
Report: one in 24 homes in Hawaiʻi is now a vacation rental
The number of short-term vacation rental units in Hawaiʻi rose 35 percent over the last two years—from 17,000 units in 2015 to 23,000 in 2017.
Report: out-of-state buyers, vacation rentals squeeze local housing market
A new report by Hawaiʻi Appleseed estimates a quarter of homes sold in Hawaiʻi during recent years were bought by non-residents.
This Honolulu architect designs low-cost housing, often for free
Russell Wozniak has become a leader of Oʻahu’s efforts to develop innovative solutions to the low-income housing shortage.
Airbnb says no to collecting taxes on rentals
State officials are worried they could end up with no new revenue if Airbnb backpedals on the collection process.
Cries over ‘poor door’ ignore worse segregation in affordable housing
The reality is that affordable housing produced by developers under city and state requirements is governed by loose standards that often result in separate and unequal residences for those with low or moderate incomes.
Affordable-home sizes getting squeezed
Affordable housing: Like all Hawaiʻi real estate, it’s gotten more expensive. It’s also getting incredibly smaller.
Rent spike scare highlights anxiety over displacement
The rent increase scare highlights a broader anxiety over displacement in Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing complexes.
The to-do list for the 2018 legislative session
What should be at the top of the to-do list for Hawaiʻi’s legislators this session? From our high cost of living, to affordable housing, to climate change, the breadth of issues could make this one of the most pivotal years for lawmakers—or it could be politics as usual.
Plan for tower’s ‘poor door’ scrapped
Designs for a residential tower near urban Honolulu’s Walmart store no longer feature a front door for market-priced condominium buyers and a side door for moderate-income renters.
Ala Moana high rise developer removes ‘poor door’ from proposal
The plan to create separate entrances for low-income residents was opposed by affordable housing advocates.
Council: Ala Moana developer must answer ‘poor door’ critique
Objections over plans to provide separate entrances for luxury condo owners and the tenants of affordable rentals has delayed approval for an Ala Moana highrise.
Segregation? Tenants in affordable units to get separate entrance
A mixed-use residential high-rise planned for the Ala Moana area is raising some concerns because it has separate entrances for those who purchase market-rate condo units—and those who will live in affordable rentals on the same property.
Hawaiʻi vacation rentals threaten our survival
It’s time local political leaders begin making hard decisions to resolve this growing problem.
Low-income renters fear they’ll be priced out of Lahaina apartments
Some 300 low-income residents at Front Street Apartments effectively face eviction under a loophole that enables the property to be converted to market-priced units after 15 years in service.
Missed deadlines lead the city to lose millions in federal housing funds
Hawaii News Now has learned the city missed deadlines to spend almost $10 million, and the federal government has already taken some of it back.