Hawaii has the highest median home prices and rents in the country, and they have been increasing substantially over the past 50 years. But prior to that, says Jensen Ahokovi, a research associate at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, housing prices were fairly stable — not only in Hawaii but
June 27, 2023 9 a.m. Kauai County Council Chambers To: Kaua‘i County Council Councilmember Mel Rapozo, Chair Councilmember KipuKai Kuali`i, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher RE: County Real Property Tax Workshop Comments Only Dear Chair and Committee Members: The
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City and County Council Committee on Zoning on June 21, 2023. _____________ June 21, 2023 9 a.m. Honolulu City Council Chambers To: Honolulu City and County Council, Committee on Zoning Councilmember Calvin Say,
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on June 9, 2023. _____________ June 9, 2023 9 a.m. Maui County Council Chamber To: Maui County Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Yuki Lei K. Sugimura, Chair
If an “empty homes” homes tax were to serve no other purpose than bringing in tax revenues to fund affordable housing initiatives, wouldn’t that be worth pursuing? Speaking with H. Hawaii Media radio host Johnny Miro on Sunday, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii research associate Jensen Ahokovi answered, “I wouldn’t think
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City and County Council on June 7, 2023. _____________ June 7, 2023 9 a.m. Honolulu City Council Chambers To: Honolulu City and County Council Councilmember Tommy Waters, Chair
At its core, the high cost of homes in Hawaii is a supply problem. We simply don’t have enough homes to keep up with demand, which drives up the prices of existing homes. The bottom line is there is no other solution than to build more homes. To do that,
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
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
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
Hawaii has the highest median home prices and rents in the country, and they have been increasing substantially over the past 50 years. But prior to that, says Jensen Ahokovi, a research associate at the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, housing prices were fairly stable — not only in Hawaii but
June 27, 2023 9 a.m. Kauai County Council Chambers To: Kaua‘i County Council Councilmember Mel Rapozo, Chair Councilmember KipuKai Kuali`i, Vice Chair From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii Jonathan Helton, Policy Researcher RE: County Real Property Tax Workshop Comments Only Dear Chair and Committee Members: The
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City and County Council Committee on Zoning on June 21, 2023. _____________ June 21, 2023 9 a.m. Honolulu City Council Chambers To: Honolulu City and County Council, Committee on Zoning Councilmember Calvin Say,
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Maui County Council on June 9, 2023. _____________ June 9, 2023 9 a.m. Maui County Council Chamber To: Maui County Council Budget, Finance and Economic Development Committee Yuki Lei K. Sugimura, Chair
If an “empty homes” homes tax were to serve no other purpose than bringing in tax revenues to fund affordable housing initiatives, wouldn’t that be worth pursuing? Speaking with H. Hawaii Media radio host Johnny Miro on Sunday, Grassroot Institute of Hawaii research associate Jensen Ahokovi answered, “I wouldn’t think
The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Honolulu City and County Council on June 7, 2023. _____________ June 7, 2023 9 a.m. Honolulu City Council Chambers To: Honolulu City and County Council Councilmember Tommy Waters, Chair
At its core, the high cost of homes in Hawaii is a supply problem. We simply don’t have enough homes to keep up with demand, which drives up the prices of existing homes. The bottom line is there is no other solution than to build more homes. To do that,
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
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
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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