Working for a better economy, better government and a better society
‘Affordable in perpetuity’ chokes Maui housing supply
This commentary was originally published Sept. 10, 2019, in The Maui News. Maui County residents have long suffered from a lack of affordable housing, but county officials have continually denied permits to home developers who won’t promise that the units they build...
How to give everybody a raise
Discussions about the minimum wage tend to overlook an obvious fact: Lowering the cost of living would make everyone’s pay go further, especially the less fortunate. How much further? Simply getting to the point where a dollar has its full spending power would be a...
Why Tom and Ycrem left Hawaii
The cost of life in Hawaii is just too much for us to raise a family there. We wanted to be able to provide our children with more opportunities than we could afford. I would love to return some day, even if only to visit. My children were born in Hawaii — my son in...
No place like home, if you can find one
It is universally acknowledged that Hawaii residents need more homes. So why is it so hard to build them?When you ask people about their frustrations with the cost of living in Hawaii, high home prices and rental rates are among the first things mentioned. It’s a...
Testimony on SB 1 — Relating to Housing
This testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii to the Hawaii House Committee on Housing on March 14, 2019. RE: SB 1 — RELATING TO HOUSING Comments Only Dear Chair and Committee Members: The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii would like to offer its...