Development

... Ever wonder why so many mansions are being built on Hawaii Island? It’s because they don’t involve a lot of red tape or public opposition ....

"... it is essentially a budgeting gimmick ...."

... Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It ....

... Hawaii’s zoning laws prevent growth, are socially divisive, contribute to Hawaii’s high home prices ....

... The commission, which is being established by resolution using the mayorʻs executive reorganization power under Honolulu City Charter Section 4-202, will give effect to Bill 44 (2022), the ordinance passed by the City Council earlier this month ....

... Mainland publications reach out to the Grassroot Institute for background on why housing in Hawaii is so difficult to come by ....

"... Hawaii is littered with big public-facility development projects that have taken exorbitant stretches of time to produce compared with [their original] plans ...."

... a typical residential building permit application took 108 days to process, while one for a commercial project took 432 days ....

... by-right approval for affordable housing projects would streamline the process for homebuilders and potentially yield big savings ....

... “Konno” has a provision that has an exemption for special or unique services that are essential to the public and cannot be filled by civil servants ....

... The idea seems to be gaining steam now since our federal court has struck down Honolulu’s recent ordinance clamping down on transient vacation rentals ....

... delays, missing emails and bureaucratic difficulties ....

 ... Wednesday from 3:30pm to 5:00pm on Zoom, a panel discussion on housing in Hawaii with three Hawaii housing legends ....

... Bill 56 Would Eliminate Lengthy Permit Requirements for Home Repairs ....

... UHERO Executive Director Carl Bonham participated in a panel on supply-side constraints to expanding residential housing at the Hawaii Economic Association’s 2022 Annual Conference ....

... The result is exactly what we have in Hawaii: a lot of talk about lowering the cost of housing, but very little effective reform ....

... the new ordinance is likely to do more harm than good by discouraging more homebuilding ....

... the new sales price calculations will reduce the cost of affordable homes by an average of 22% ....

“...First, do no harm....”

“...Are out-of-state buyers, especially foreigners, really driving Hawaii’s high home prices?....”

... The most recent and visible example is our iconic Aloha Stadium .... 

... On June 30, 2025, any of this money not contractually committed will drop back into our state general fund ....

... I have been a strong advocate of protecting OHA’s funds from fraud, waste and abuse. I am as passionate about growing those funds to meet the needs of Hawaiians ....

... the primary causes of Hawaii's high housing prices are extensive land-use, zoning and other homebuilding-related regulations ....

... Bill 10 would update the county’s land-use regulations for agricultural, residential, commercial, nonprofit, government and other uses ....

... what to do about coastal homes with expired, temporary emergency State permits to “shore” up the land under their foundations ....

"...very difficult and demanding challenge,” said Mayor Rick Blangiardi....

... many people in Hawaii have for years been blaming the state’s housing crisis on “outsiders” ....

... An amendment seeks to subsidize homebuyers, leaving open whom would qualify and how much taxpayers would be in for ....

"...The same money driving up housing prices, buying up our land, and pushing out local families is the same money [Green] has used and is using to fund his campaign. I will never accept this as being good for Hawaii...."

... Hawaii has the most expensive home prices in the nation ....

... compel the DOD via statue to build all the base housing they need (approximately 40k units) for their servicemembers’ families on base in Hawaii ....

... the average time to process a residential building permit application was 108 days, while a commercial project took 432 days ....

... The Problem with the Hawaiʻi Real Estate Market is the effect that “outside influences” are having on housing prices and availability ....

... Grassroot Institute President Keli‘i Akina says report shifts the focus from a scapegoat to policies that can actually result in more housing ....

... the average delay for permits or approvals in Hawaii is more than three times as high as the national mean ....

... there is a line item for renting four 480-square-foot units from the Four Seasons for nearly $300,000 a year ....

... “There’s a correlation between high regulation and high prices in housing,” Akina said. “That’s the real problem we’re facing in Hawaii." ....

... It is tempting to look for scapegoats when we talk about Hawaii’s housing crisis ....

... A pathbreaking analysis of nationwide data dispels the popular belief that out-of-state home buyers are the cause of the state's housing woes ....

... in Hawaii County, residential permits take about 143 days to issue. In Honolulu, it’s 108 days for residential projects and 432 days for commercial projects over $1 million ....

... ZAED lost the majority of its supervisory personnel in 2021, and only one has been filled as of January 2022 ....

... The housing situation on Maui is the worst in the state ....

... more regulation and delays ....

... New Regulations May Slow Homebuilding ....

... how do we work with the state and counties to move in this direction ....

... Hawaii’s zoning, land-use and other homebuilding restrictions have led to Hawaii having “one of the worst housing markets in the country, and even internationally.” ....

... the indictment alleges Rudo solicited and accepted multiple bribes and kickbacks from Sulla, Zamber and Budhabhatti ....

... First-of-its kind report quantifies housing shortage by metropolitan and county levels, finds underproduction in state reached more than 7,600 homes in 2019, up from 3,900 in 2012 ....

... there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch ....