by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Jan 20, 2021 | Housing, Research & Commentary
The following is the cover letter we included when we sent two recent housing studies to all lawmakers throughout the islands, at both the state and county levels. Written by Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii executive vice president, the letter introduced “How...
by Malia Hill | Oct 8, 2020 | Housing, In the News, Research & Commentary
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...
by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Oct 4, 2020 | Housing, President's Column
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...
by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Sep 29, 2020 | "Hawaii Together", Housing, Land Use and Zoning
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...
by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Sep 8, 2020 | Housing, Testimony & Letters
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...
by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Feb 14, 2020 | Housing, Land Use and Zoning, President's Column
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...
by Grassroot Institute of Hawaii | Jan 27, 2020 | Housing, Land Use and Zoning, Multimedia
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...
by Joe Kent | Dec 27, 2019 | Housing, In the News, Land Use and Zoning, Research & Commentary
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...
by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Dec 10, 2019 | Housing, Land Use and Zoning, President's Column
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...
by Keli'i Akina, Ph.D. | Oct 27, 2019 | Housing, Land Use and Zoning, President's Column
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...