Is it unethical to vacation in Hawaiʻi?
Despite the economic revenue that the tourism industry generates, Native Hawaiians point out that residents aren’t partaking in those profits.
The long struggle over taxing the rich
States’ taxes lean most heavily on poorer residents. These states are trying to change that.
Tenants facing eviction hope state will convert Kauaʻi’s Waipouli apartments to affordable housing
Affordable housing advocates are pressuring the State of Hawai‘i to purchase the apartment building and transform all 82 units into affordable housing.
In Hawaiʻi’s housing crunch, tenants are vulnerable to rent hikes and evictions
Advocates say the code lacks key policies needed in Hawaiʻi’s tight housing market, such as longer notice periods before someone can be evicted, caps on yearly rent increases and limits on the reasons landlords can evict tenants.
Housing advocate calls for a departure from the status quo to meet basic needs
Gavin Thornton, executive director of Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, discusses the mixed bag of results from lawmakers attempting to address the housing and homeless crises during the 2023 legislative session.
Hawaiʻi ‘survival budget’ hits $104,052, report finds
The annual “household survival budget” for a Hawaiʻi family of four in 2021 at $104,052, up 15 percent from 2018. The figure drops to $85,812 when assorted earned income and child tax credits are factored in.
Hawaiʻi food insecurity persists post COVID-19
Even as Hawaiʻi distances itself from the harshest effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-hunger advocates say that elevated food insecurity among residents has not only persisted but is growing.
VIDEO: Anti-hunger leaders join ‘Spotlight Hawaiʻi’
Hawaiʻi Food Bank CEO Amy Miller Marvin and Daniela Spoto, Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s director of Anti-Hunger Initiatives, joined the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaiʻi.”
Leasehold condo plan could work
The idea, branded as ALOHA Homes (Affordable Locally Owned Homes for All), is to build and sell the leasehold condos at no long-term cost to Hawaiʻi taxpayers.
State-backed leasehold condo pilot pending
Senate Bill 865 would establish a pilot program to develop one condo project for sale on state land under a 99-year land lease in an effort to demonstrate whether the concept is a viable solution to increase the long-term supply of affordable housing.
Tax to fund affordable housing advances in state legislature
Senate Bill 362, Draft 2, which raises the conveyance tax on property sales over $2 million, has survived committee (a feat that only one in 10 bills achieve) and is set for a final floor vote in the Senate this week.
Proposed tax increase to fund homeless services not likely to advance in legislature
SB678 received nearly 100 pages of written testimony, with only two testifiers opposing it.
Maui looks to crack down on companies selling shares of second homes
A County Council measure would expand the definition of timeshare to include stays of up to 180 days to try to limit multiple owners from buying into vacation homes.
Report: State law successfully limited evictions during COVID-19 pandemic
A state-mandated free mediation program was a resounding success in preventing evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report.
Report: Mandatory mediation saved hundreds of tenants from eviction
While the Act 57 program ended in August 2022, Hawaiʻi Appleseed will be advocating for a permanent rental relief program that includes mediation to stabilize affordable housing.
Off the News: Keeping renters in their homes
Act 57 diverted as many as 1,201 eviction cases in 2021, benefiting tenants and landlords, according to a Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice study.
Planning averts spike in COVID-era homelessness in Hawaiʻi
Hawaiʻi Appleseed last week released the results of a study showing “a pre-litigation mediation program” known as Act 57 helped renters and landlords and reduced both court costs and a strain on the Judicial system.
Eviction mediation study: KITV4 talks with Kenna StormoGipson with Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice
Local nonprofit Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice just released the results of its study that look at whether Hawaiʻi’s Act 57 mediation program worked.
Hawaiʻi missed out on $200M in federal funding for school meal programs, report says
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed study found that federal programs meant to reimburse organizations that feed Hawaii’s children have not taken into account more than 40 years of increases in local food costs.
Hawaiʻi’s federal child nutrition funding is outdated and insufficient, report finds
Federal reimbursement rates for child nutrition programs in Hawaiʻi do not currently reflect the high cost of living, a new report found.