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Best plan for more housing on Maui is to scale back county housing plans
This article was originally published in The Maui News on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020. _______________ It’s no secret that Maui is suffering from a housing crisis. Lack of housing is one of the most common complaints of those who leave the state, and the high price of...
Rein in this red-tape rascal to encourage more housing
Photo by Charley Myers When your state lacks sufficient housing, the last thing you should do is make building a difficult, risky and lengthy process. But that’s exactly what Hawaii has done by creating levels of bureaucracy that strangle development. On this week’s...
LUC reform isn’t glamorous, but it’s important
Keli’i Akina’s “Hawaii Together” program on Monday, Sept. 28, 2020, on ThinkTech Hawaii was all about the state Land Use Commission, which both he and his guest acknowledged isn’t typically the most captivating of topics. “You know...
Testimony: Liberalize West Maui Plan to encourage housing
The following testimony was submitted Sept. 8, 2020, to the Maui Planning Commission by Joe Kent, executive vice president of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. ____________ To: Maui Planning Commission / Lawrence Carnicelli, Chair / Christian Tackett, Vice chair...
Five little words could solve Hawaii housing crisis
The lack of affordable housing in Hawaii is on everyone’s mind. State legislators have responded with a wide variety of proposals that include everything from government building projects to incentives for developers. Then there’s the constitutional amendment. Three...
Hawaii’s housing crisis, in 63 seconds
Here is the latest in a series of short videos being produced by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii to explain quickly and simply the basics of some of Hawai’s most pressing economic problems. This 63-second video is about the state’s housing...
50 ways — at least — to update Maui’s zoning code
This article was published originally on Dec. 24, 2019, in The Maui News. ___________ A major rewrite of Maui County’s zoning code could yield more housing — if done right. “Done right” means simplifying the code and removing red tape, which were major recommendations...
Liberate Hawaii homebuilding!
Photo by Charley Myers Lack of affordable housing is a problem that affects us all. As the “Why we left Hawaii” series of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii has demonstrated, being able to afford a home is one of the main reasons many of our family, friends and...
Why we have a housing crisis in Hawaii
It’s as true for housing as it is for designer jeans: When supply can’t keep up with demand, prices go up and people get angry. The big difference, of course, is that a shortage of denim doesn’t generally create a crisis. A shortage of housing does. No one contests...