Kauaʻi residents receive enticing letters to list homes as short-term vacation rentals
Last week, residents from Waimea to Hanalei reported receiving form letters from VRBO, looking for homeowners who want to cash in by listing their properties as short-term vacation rentals.
State’s poor face nation’s second-largest tax burden
The least wealthy income earners in Hawaiʻi pay the second most in taxes of any state in the union, according to an analysis of tax systems across the country.
Affordable Hawaiʻi starts with housing
While the official poverty average from 2015–2017 makes Hawaiʻi look like an economic paradise, the supplemental measure puts Hawaiʻi at the 10th-highest rate.
Planning commission rejects short-term rental regulations
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice supports the effort to regulate short-term rentals, but opposes this measure.
Update on state's homelessness plans
A $766 million investment over a decade could house the 1,700 chronically homeless individuals across Hawaiʻi and save the state $2 billion in healthcare costs.
What new census data says—and doesn’t say—about Hawaiʻi
Incomes are slightly higher but housing costs are still among the worst in the nation.
69 public schools offer free summer meals. But most kids don't claim them
Low participation in summer meal programs robs the state of more than a million dollars a month in federal reimbursements for the meals.
New Kakaʻako affordable housing rules set
The rules include a 10-year wait period for buyback, while affordable housing advocates had wanted at least 30 years.
Maui renters need to work 123 hours a week to afford 2-bedroom apartment
Hawaiʻi has the highest “housing wage” in the country, at $36.13 per hour, according to a new national report released today, or over $75,000 per year.
The crusade to keep Hawaiʻi kids fed this summer
While the Department of Education provides meals on summer school campuses, other efforts are afoot to deliver food to non-school venues.
Why are isle residents struggling, income-wise?
Numbers don’t lie, but they sometimes tell tall tales. And often, they leave a lot of people scratching their heads, wondering why the data don’t seem to reflect the same reality they see.
Here’s how much Hawaiʻi CEOs make compared to their employees
The gap between CEO pay and the median salaries of their employees for Hawaiʻi’s publicly-traded companies is narrower than nationwide.
National hotel group wants Hawaiʻi to tax, regulate short-term rental sites like hotels
No matter the outcome, this is a topic that affects thousands. The Hawaiʻi Appleseed report found that one out of every 24 housing units in the state is now a vacation rental.
Report: vacation rentals’ impact on Maui
A report by Hawaiʻi Appleseed finds that vacation rental units put pressure on Hawaiʻi’s already-stressed housing market by driving up rents and taking away housing units.
Oʻahu residents are likely to see their rent go up
The increase is triggered by the U.S. Department of Housing, which raised the limits for affordable housing. It does mean more people will qualify for it. But it comes at a higher price.
Caldwell calls for legalization and regulation of transient accommodations
Catherine Cruz talks with Hawaiʻi Appleseed's Madison DeLuca about the growing concern over the loss of affordable housing inventory to vacation rentals.
Mayor’s vacation rental plan gets cool reception
The proposal offers no increased enforcement and is focused instead on collecting more tax revenue by increasing the number of vacation rentals.
Proliferation of vacation rentals burdens renters, communities
We need to invigorate efforts to enforce our laws. We should simplify enforcement by creating a presumption that owners who advertise units without a permit are, in fact, operating illegally.
People in Hawaiʻi are fed up with vacation rentals
Hawaiʻi residents are blaming popular vacation rental sites like Airbnb for the state's housing shortage and for disrupting their neighborhoods.
How short-term rentals impact home inventory
The proliferation of short-term rentals in Hawaii is impacting both the traditional rental market and the availability of affordable housing units.