Executive Summary

Hawaiʻi stands at a critical juncture. Our existing housing policy framework fails to adequately address the challenges faced by renters. Recent crises such as the Maui Wildfires highlight the interconnectedness of our housing ecosystem and the urgent need for comprehensive reform.

In Hawaiʻi, two-fifths (38 percent) of households rent the homes in which they live. Renters tend to be lower on the income scale, and often work multiple jobs to support their families and keep a roof over their heads. They are usually the ones to feel the crunch of Hawaiʻi’s housing market most acutely, and this added stress can have serious repercussions on health and future earnings. 

Renter instability has serious impacts on our local workforce and economy. Maui County and Kauaʻi County each have some of the highest median rent prices in the country. This makes finding a home near work difficult for many, which in turn has consequences for the local economy. A 2024 Kauaʻi Council Candidate forum highlighted how renters issues are becoming a catalyst for all sorts of quality of life issues for residents—not just cost of living, but also health, safety and job security. 

Too often the needs of renters are sidelined at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature. In the last five years, bills aimed at increasing the supply of housing through new development have received strong support and seen passage into law. However, with the exception of Act 57 (2021) and Act 237 (2022), the legislature has failed to pass any bills specifically targeting assistance to stabilize renters and keep them housed.

• Act 57 (2021): Signed into law at the peak of COVID 19 pandemic, this bill made landlord-tenant mediation mandatory upon eviction filing, and made rent-relief funds available; 

• Act 237 (2022): This bill increased TANF/TONF benefits by $500 for qualifying families that can be put toward housing costs.

Act 57 (2021) became a national model to keep renters housed during the pandemic. However, even though the need for the program persists, it was allowed to lapse after the pandemic was declared over. The legislature has failed to re-enact this popular and effective program year after year.

Our existing statutes don’t do enough to protect renters from displacement and instability. Hawaiʻi lacks a just-cause eviction requirement, provides insufficient rental support, and requires no advance notice of lease non-renewal or rent increases. Hawaiʻi provides no incentives for landlords and tenants to engage in mediation, and there is no effective enforcement mechanism for landlord violations of the landlord-tenant code.

The absence of a right to counsel perpetuates the power imbalance between landlord and tenant. Tenants without legal representation face significant challenges in contesting illegal evictions or displacement. 

To address these challenges, Hawaiʻi must adopt a comprehensive set of renter protections: 

• Implement just-cause eviction requirements;

• Provide legal counsel for tenants; 

• Offer sufficient, accessible rental support;

• Mandate a 60 day minimum advance notice for lease non-renewal or rent increases; and 

• Create enforcement mechanisms for landlord-tenant code violations.