The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu Charter Commission on Feb. 23, 2026.
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Feb. 23, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
Honolulu Hale
To: Honolulu Charter Commission
Dawn Szewczyk, Chair
Sommerset Yamamoto, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: P051 — RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Aloha Chair Szewczyk, Vice Chair Yamamoto and other members of the Commission,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports proposed Charter amendment P051, which would require six votes at the City Council to disapprove of 201H affordable housing projects that were approved by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp.
This bill would give clarity to homebuilders seeking approval to construct much-needed affordable housing.
And there isn’t much clarity in Hawaii’s current housing rules. The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i has found that Hawaii’s housing regulations are the strictest in the country, and “approval delays” for housing developments are three times longer than the national average among communities surveyed.[1]
Meanwhile, a 2024 state of Hawaii study estimated that Honolulu needs 27,710 new units built between 2023 and 2027 to meet demand.[2]
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Rachel Inafuku, Justin Tyndall and Carl Bonham, “Measuring the Burden of Housing Regulation in Hawaii,” The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i, April 14, 2022, p. 6.
[2] “Hawaii Housing Planning Study 2024,” prepared by SMS Research and Marketing Services, Inc., FSR Consulting LLC and Ward Research, Inc. for the Hawai’i Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Table 39A, p. 124.
