As Filipinos grapple with high rent, what is the state planning this legislative session?
Locals and new locals coming together in a limited space have produced the perfect storm for a rental crunch where low supply is lopsided by high demand, and the result is a hefty rental tag.
Proposed short-term rental rules on Big Island met with overwhelming opposition
The county’s first attempt to regulate short-term rentals was in November 2018 with the passage of Bill 108, which included some recommendations from a March 2018 Hawai‘i Appleseed report.
County Council forwards proposed changes to short-term rental regulations to planning commissions, director
The county’s first attempt to regulate these short-term rentals included recommendations from a 2018 Hawai‘i Appleseed report that provided an overview of impacts from the rentals on the state’s housing market.
Big Island lawmakers attempt to rein in short-term vacation rentals
Supporters say new limits are needed to increase the island's affordable housing stock, while opponents fear negative economic consequences.
New report on cycle of poverty in Hawaiʻi urges state lawmakers to find solutions
Solutions include substantially increasing public financing of affordable housing, as well as the creation of a state level child tax credit.
Study: Low wages a threat to ‘heart and soul’ of society in Hawaiʻi
The report concludes that chronically low wages have prevented Hawaiʻi’s working families from thriving, and that the effect of poverty on children has ramifications for future generations.
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.
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.
Mediating rent disputes
The mediation program’s principles are sound. Lawmakers now have many months to refine this bill and get right its final form and funding amounts; they cannot let a worthwhile program die because they can’t get their act together.
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’s working moms deserve (child tax) credit
As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we must do more than simply celebrate the thousands of working moms out there—we need to deliver tax justice to them and their families.
Hawaiʻi taxpayers are paying a high cost for evictions
Every year there are about 2,500 evictions in the islands. And many fear more people will be out on the streets because of the high cost of 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.
Move ahead with care on tax relief
Legislators must ensure that the relief package makes the most of state resources, finding the right balance of lower taxes and the services that Hawaiʻi’s people need most.
While a tax hike to fund homeless services may not pass, housing advocates have a plan
When it comes to Hawaiʻi's conveyance tax rates, advocates say the state is low compared to other high-cost areas in the U.S.
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.
Tracking Hawaiʻi paychecks versus living costs since 1969
To see if people are better off than their grandparents, we compared wages after inflation, debt loads, where people spent their money and more.
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.