Cost of Living

... how Watson pressured Hawaiian Homes Commissioners to approve purchase of Kauai condo complex ....

...Hawaiʻi continues to lag behind much of the nation when it comes to children’s economic well-being and educational outcomes, according to the 2026 KIDS COUNT® Data Book....

... Follow-Up Report: Office of Housing and Community Development Affordable Housing Credits | Hawaii County, HI ....

... SCOTUS ruling against OHA in 2009 means special protection for Hawaiian Homelands today ....

...The findings and recommendations will be presented during the SPEED Summit, scheduled for January 15, 2027....

...Hawaii has the second-poorest rich people, and the 10th-poorest poor people -- but the 2nd-richest middle class.  And yet middle class families still can't afford their first home and are fleeing Hawaii by the thousands. ...

...increasing income taxes on higher earners could drive away “business owners, entrepreneurs, doctors, people that we really need in our state.”....

...Hawaii’s program is set to launch this year....

... Seven Chinese executives and four of the world’s largest shipping container manufacturing companies were indicted ....

... Chinese State TV interviews Joe Kent of Grassroot Institute ....

"SNAP sales rose by more than $23,000—from $314,416 in 2024 to $339,810 in 2025—while transactions increased by 1,689"

... remember the 'Hawai‘i Green Infrastructure Authority'?  After years of funneling money to 'green' insiders, it has been raided and reassigned ....

... counties, to issue resilient infrastructure for shelter and equity bonds to finance public works projects and other housing and community development expenses ....

... UHERO Hawaiʻi Housing Factbook 2026, fourth edition -- offering detailed analysis of the state’s housing market ....

... Cities that require the highest income to afford a home ....

...they do little for housing other than to siphon off a share of affordable housing funds for themselves....

"... This is harder than it seems ...."

... The Jones Act is a protectionist relic that inflates the cost of living for every American while failing to deliver the very maritime security it was designed to provide ....

... The State of Hawaii has the third-worst retention of 20-30 year olds across all states ....

...Only in Hawaii: $20M / 47 single-wide mobile homes = $425,532 per unit with no land cost....

... another tax-hike bill still alive that has been quietly making its way through the legislative process: SB3028 ....

... Three men have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to pay bribes to a public official at the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development ....

"...to waive the Jones Act to try to hold down skyrocketing fuel and other energy costs is a blanket admission of the Jones Act’s crippling effects on our economy...."

... while Hawaiʻi has one of the highest levels of distributed energy resource adoption in the nation, many of these resources are not optimized to support grid reliability or reduce reliance on fossil fuels ....

... For Hawaii homeowners, the cost of housing as a share of median monthly household income is 50.02%.  For Hawaii renters, it is 62.52%.  Both figures are the highest in the USA ....

...Hawaii has the most expensive average home price in the country, the smallest average home size of any state, and yard space that costs over 200% more than the national average....

... Of those, 78% say housing costs or availability played a moderate or significant role in that decision .... 

" ... natural gas is often far cheaper than oil ... "

... Over the past decade, Hawai‘i has experienced one of the largest declines in marriage rates in the country ....

... If we want to end the housing crisis, we need to build more homes ....

... the government’s role in economic recovery and more ....

... the predictable result of policy choices that prioritize climate symbolism over working families’ budgets ....

... Hawaiian Electric is forecasting that typical residential bills may rise between 20% and 30% over the next several months. Oahu customers will start seeing higher April bills, followed by Hawaii Island and Maui County customers who will see increases in May and June. ...

... Schatz received at least $131,500 from organizations that oppose the bill ....

... A single new condominium tower in Honolulu may have opened up hundreds of additional housing opportunities across Oʻahu ....

... to increase the bill of a typical residential customer on Oʻahu by about $3.62 per month ....

...For 23 of the past 25 years, more residents have left Hawaiʻi for the continent than have arrived....

... Japan’s downturn hit Hawaiʻi harder than almost anywhere else ....

...The suspension of the law would allow foreign tankers to transport oil around the country....

... the proposal seeks to accelerate the replacement of aging, inefficient oil-fired generation on Oʻahu with modern, high-efficiency infrastructure designed to deliver affordability for Hawaiʻi families and businesses, enhance energy grid resilience and lower emissions ....

...Hawaii leads the nation, where about 1 in 13 households include three generations living together....

... the Jones Act “has been identified as a central factor in Hawaii’s reliance on foreign oil" ....

... The Hawaiʻi Legislature passed sweeping income tax cuts in 2024 to help prevent residents from moving away in search of a lower cost of living ....

... state and county testimonies submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in the first half of March 2026 ....

... only Ulupono has expressed its support ....

“How is it that very profitable development went from under $100/SF in rural towns to over $600/SF in big cities in less than two decades?”

... The legislation focuses on increasing housing production, reducing regulatory barriers, and supporting the infrastructure necessary to sustain growth ....

... LNG may be the bridge Hawaii needs to secure a cleaner, more affordable, and reliable energy future ....

... state and county testimonies submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii in the latter half of February 2026 ....

"Typical Residential Bill Stable in 2025."