Making Hard Calls for Hawai‘i’s Future

News Release from PRP, January, 2026

The Winter 2025 edition of Hawai‘i Perspectives is a scientifically conducted survey that gives voice to more than 900 residents across O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui County, and Kaua‘i, capturing the anxieties and aspirations that reflect this moment.

“Hard Calls” is more than a theme—it is our daily reality. After years of inaction and modest efforts, we now face decisions that we can’t postpone.

INTRODUCTION

Every choice carries weight—not just  for today, but for generations.  Hawai‘i’s  1.4 million residents stand at a crossroads, where chronic, overlapping issues and the policies that address them will determine  the islands’ future.

The Winter 2025 edition of Hawai‘i Perspectives is a scientifically conducted survey that gives voice to more than 900 residents across O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui County, and Kaua‘i, capturing the anxieties and aspirations that reflect this moment.

“Hard Calls” is more than a theme—it is our daily reality. After years of inaction and modest efforts, we now face decisions that we can’t postpone.

(QUESTION: Will PRP/Carpenters Union abandon their opposition to low cost modular housing construction?)

How deep is the hole we’re in?  We’re still digging.

Roughly 64,000 affordable homes are needed today in Hawai‘i. The question is no longer if we should build, but how quickly we can act. At stake is nothing less than Hawai‘i’s identity, our host culture. The 2020 U.S. Census reported that only 47% of Native Hawaiians lived in Hawai‘i, while 53% resided on the continent. Also sobering, the Native Hawaiian population living outside of these islands is growing five times faster than those  who remain.

Hawai‘i’s high cost of living—driven by housing, food, energy, and transportation— leads the nation. Families renting homes, buying groceries, and filling gas tanks know this reality all too well.

At this critical juncture, Hawai‘i Perspectives offers a snapshot of a community wrestling with urgent challenges, potential solutions, and the ultimate, life defining “hard call” of whether to stay or go.

Mahalo for engaging in this critical conversation. The future of Hawai‘i is at stake and every voice—every decision—matters.

PDF: Download the full report

2023: Telling Evening News Anchors What to Say: Carpenters Union Wages War Against Affordable Modular Housing on Kauai 

HNN: New Hawaii Perspectives report reveals public demand for effective housing construction policies