A path to more affordable housing: Rethinking county rules
County governments control what gets built through zoning, and through lengthy discretionary approvals. Both levers have historically been used to restrict supply.
Transformative change meets budget realities—a central lawmaking tension plays out in two new reports
Policy in Perspective 2025 and the Hawaiʻi Budget Primer FY2025–26 provide a compelling—and sometimes sobering—look at how Hawaiʻi invests, and often under-invests, in its communities.
Hawaiʻi already has the tools to create a locals-only housing market; we just need to use them
Whether buying a first home, renting, or selling within the community, local people should have the advantage. Housing should function as a home—not as a global commodity.
We need to talk about inclusionary zoning
Inclusionary Zoning is a band-aid solution to a crisis that demands major surgery. It’s time to confront why this policy hasn’t worked—and what we should do instead.
Incoming federal tax cuts will heavily favor Hawaiʻi’s wealthiest residents
The State of Hawaiʻi has an obligation to shore up its revenue through tax policies that make the wealthiest among us pay their fair share.
Hawaiʻi families deserve better: How federal cuts to nutrition programs will impact our state
With grocery prices still soaring and food insecurity on the rise, this is the worst possible time to shrink our nation's most important anti-hunger program.
Hawaiʻi’s 2025 legislature focused on raising tax revenue to prepare for federal cuts
Assessing a proper tax rate on corporations and the wealthy will be necessary to produce a budget that can fund critical safety net programs and investments in our future.
How to fix Honolulu’s Empty Homes Tax proposal
A newly released report commissioned by the county council demonstrates the need to align Honolulu’s policy proposal with demonstrated best practices.
Two truths in tension: Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis and the urgent need for anti-displacement measures
We should reject the false choice between growth and protection, we can do both. Anti-displacement policies like HB1325 ensure that, as we build for the future, we don’t abandon our present.
Implement strong eviction record sealing processes to protect Hawaiʻi renters
A single eviction filing—even one that doesn't result in actual eviction—can negatively impact renters for years. It's time for lawmakers to take decisive action to protect vulnerable tenants.
Hawaiʻi should close tax loopholes for multinational corporations
Multinational corporations make huge profits from the business activity they conduct in Hawaiʻi, while dodging the taxes they should be paying to support our state.
Why is SNAP failing Hawaiʻi residents?
It’s time for the state to invest in a more resilient, independent social safety net system that can keep working families going regardless of chaos at the federal level.
Marginal conveyance tax rates would advantage the majority of Hawaiʻi’s local homeowners
Hawaiʻi has some of the highest home prices in the nation, yet our current, flat conveyance tax structure fails to ensure that real estate market activity meaningfully contributes to affordable housing, infrastructure, and community investment.
Tax credits are more necessary than ever in 2025
Hawaiʻi’s families need urgent help to deal with the high cost of living. This is especially true for parents, who have to balance the cost of child care, rent, and food every month.
What’s in store for 2025: Hawaiʻi Appleseed transportation equity projects on the horizon
In 2025, we’ll take a greater look at more equitable approaches to traffic enforcement, the impacts of parking mandates on affordable housing, and addressing the unique mobility challenges that women and their families face.
Housing for all: The role of ADUs in strengthening Hawaiʻi’s communities
By creating accessible ADU financing options and streamlining regulatory processes, Hawaiʻi can empower homeowners to contribute to the housing supply while ensuring these new units remain affordable and benefit local residents.
A mix of progress and missed opportunities: affordable housing efforts at the 2024 legislature
As Hawaiʻi continues to grapple with the complex dynamics of housing affordability and availability, it is clear that a more balanced approach that incorporates both supply- and demand-side measures, is essential.
Hawaiʻi’s elected leaders buy-in to costly “trickle-down” myth
Passing an “historic” tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthiest Hawaiʻi residents is not the path to a healthy economy that works for working people.
The big budget trouble with HB2404’s over-broad and sweeping tax cuts
Last minute changes to the bill, made without public scrutiny, will increase its cost by nearly eight-fold, while higher-income households will get a far bigger benefit than those struggling to make ends meet.
Hawaiʻi is even less affordable after the pandemic
How have jobs, wages and costs changed from before the COVID pandemic compared to after? These charts show changes from 2019 to 2022 that have affected livability for Hawaiʻi residents.