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Housing, Land Use & Zoning

‘Empty homes’ tax won’t fix supply-side housing crisis

The idea of taxing so-called empty homes has gained currency in recent years among state and county lawmakers. But what is the evidence that such a tax can really work?  On the latest episode of “Hawaii Together,” guest Jensen Ahokovi told host Keli‘i Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute of

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An ’empty homes’ tax won’t fix Hawaii’s housing crisis

The following article was published originally in Honolulu Civil Beat on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. ____________ Recent vacancy tax proposals such as Honolulu’s Bill 9 and Bill 76 have been inspired by the belief that vacant or “empty” homes are a significant cause of Hawaii’s housing crisis. However, a comprehensive

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Kent says deleting slush fund is ‘the responsible thing to do’

It’s bad enough that Hawaii lawmakers have proposed exceeding the state’s legal spending by almost 25%, but they also appropriated $200 million to Gov. Josh Green for him to spend however he likes, and that’s not right, according to Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii executive vice president. Interviewed by

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Akina shares insights about property taxes on PBS Hawaii

Is there relief for rising property taxes on Oahu? That was the question posed to guests on the March 23 edition of PBS Hawaii’s “Insights” program, which included Keli‘i Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. Other panelists were Honolulu City Councilmember “Uncle” Calvin Say; Andy Kawano,

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HB676 HD1 SD1: Land-use reform proposal too ambiguous, narrow

The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Judiciary on April 5, 2023. _____________ April 5, 2023 9:45 a.m. Conference Room 016 Via Videoconference To: Senate Committee on Judiciary       Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair       Senator

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Is there life after Downtown Walmart?

It seems a lot of people were surprised last week to hear that the huge Walmart store in Downtown Honolulu will be closing this month. It’s tempting to speculate about what this means for the future of retail in the area, but we shouldn’t make broad assumptions based on the closure of

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SB428 SD1 HD1: Cesspools are not a one-size-fits-all issue

The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce on March 21, 2023. _____________ March 21, 2023 2 p.m. Conference Room 329 and Via Videoconference To: House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce       Rep.

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‘Empty homes’ tax won’t fix supply-side housing crisis

The idea of taxing so-called empty homes has gained currency in recent years among state and county lawmakers. But what is the evidence that such a tax can really work?  On the latest episode of “Hawaii Together,” guest Jensen Ahokovi told host Keli‘i Akina, president of the Grassroot Institute of

Read More →

An ’empty homes’ tax won’t fix Hawaii’s housing crisis

The following article was published originally in Honolulu Civil Beat on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. ____________ Recent vacancy tax proposals such as Honolulu’s Bill 9 and Bill 76 have been inspired by the belief that vacant or “empty” homes are a significant cause of Hawaii’s housing crisis. However, a comprehensive

Read More →

Kent says deleting slush fund is ‘the responsible thing to do’

It’s bad enough that Hawaii lawmakers have proposed exceeding the state’s legal spending by almost 25%, but they also appropriated $200 million to Gov. Josh Green for him to spend however he likes, and that’s not right, according to Joe Kent, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii executive vice president. Interviewed by

Read More →

Akina shares insights about property taxes on PBS Hawaii

Is there relief for rising property taxes on Oahu? That was the question posed to guests on the March 23 edition of PBS Hawaii’s “Insights” program, which included Keli‘i Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii. Other panelists were Honolulu City Councilmember “Uncle” Calvin Say; Andy Kawano,

Read More →

HB676 HD1 SD1: Land-use reform proposal too ambiguous, narrow

The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Judiciary on April 5, 2023. _____________ April 5, 2023 9:45 a.m. Conference Room 016 Via Videoconference To: Senate Committee on Judiciary       Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair       Senator

Read More →

Is there life after Downtown Walmart?

It seems a lot of people were surprised last week to hear that the huge Walmart store in Downtown Honolulu will be closing this month. It’s tempting to speculate about what this means for the future of retail in the area, but we shouldn’t make broad assumptions based on the closure of

Read More →

SB428 SD1 HD1: Cesspools are not a one-size-fits-all issue

The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce on March 21, 2023. _____________ March 21, 2023 2 p.m. Conference Room 329 and Via Videoconference To: House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce       Rep.

Read More →