Joe Kent is executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. He grew up on the Big Island and attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Minnesota State University, where he obtained his degree in education. Kent was a public school teacher for eight years, at King Kamehameha III School in Lahaina, Maui, and Sleepy Eye Public School in Minnesota. He also is a former student fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education.
Easier to build mansions on Maui than apartments
By Joe Kent
Have you ever wondered why developers on Maui spend their time building mansions instead of affordable homes?
At first glance, it would seem they could make more money building mansions, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Surprisingly, developers often make less money on mansions than if they were to build low-end or midlevel homes or apartments. Why?
The reason is zoning laws, specifically the ones that prohibit developers from building lower-priced single-family homes and apartments on their land. … Read more:
Subscribe to our free newsletter!
Get updates on what we're doing to make Hawaii affordable for everyone.
Joe Kent
Want more?
Get content like this delivered straight to your inbox. We’ll also send updates on what we’re doing to make Hawaii affordable for everyone.
Recent Posts
Tax, spend, regulate, repeat. Will Hawaii lawmakers ever learn?
Significant fuel shipments quietly make their way to Hawaii under Jones Act waiver
Comparing county property taxes across Hawaii: Who pays the most?
Expand Bill 7 affordable housing program to help meet housing needs
Maui’s new grant rules are good first step, but more transparency needed