Development

"Item D-7 does not ask BLNR to award a 30-year water license to Mahi Pono." -- BLNR

...Of those displaced from both their home and West Maui in early 2025, about one in six have returned to West Maui but not yet to their home....

... recovery for commercial and multifamily structures remains bleak ....

... so far only about 220 houses have been restored, and the status of non-residential rebuilds is even more bleak ....

... and permit delays are largely to blame .... 

... updating the City’s rules for repairing older, nonconforming homes that conflict with current zoning codes ....

... DPP will require applicants to utilize the CivCheck Guided AI pre-application process before submitting their permit application ....

... Hawaii and California differ greatly in many ways, but they have plenty in common — including great weather and notoriously bad permitting systems ....

...Honolulu earned the national recognition for its project, “Honolulu Cuts Residential Permit Review Times by 70% with AI Plan Review,” which showcases DPP’s successful implementation of CivCheck....

...Participants living in temporary housing declined from 40.6% to 34.4%....

... the Commission ultimately rejected putting the issue on the ballot ....

... More than 2,200 structures were destroyed.  So far, only 220 houses have been rebuilt ....

... the ICC has become one of the most powerful and least transparent institutions in housing policy ....

... the rules governing what can be built near the shore have been debated among developers, environmental advocates and fire survivors trying to rebuild their homes in Lahaina ....

"...Hawaii’s homeowners-to-population ratio (HPOP) is 18.9 percentage points lower than its owner-occupancy rate, the largest difference of any state...."

"...The impacts to an endangered Hawaiian bee that moved into the redevelopment area were not included in previous environmental reviews...."

...advancing the administration’s long-term strategy to assemble and revitalize land surrounding the future Kūwili Skyline Station and support the delivery of thousands of ... housing units through transit-oriented development....

... a nearly identical tax approved by San Francisco voters has been ruled unconstitutional in court and is still being held up by appeals, which means Honolulu could be walking into a similar costly legal battle ....

... two measures proposed by Grassroot to advance agricultural development in Hawaii have become law ....

"Priority Review, a new program that rewards applicants who use DPP’s AI-guided software, CivCheck"

...fully occupied with approximately half of its 89 households made up of returning residents and the other half fire victims, many of whom had lived in temporary housing for nearly two years....

...empower the counties and municipalities of the state to issue housing infrastructure growth bonds for specified public works, public improvements, and community development....

... Grassroot produced 16 model bills, five of which were adopted ....

...to demonstrate how publicly owned land can be leveraged to provide attainable homeownership opportunities for local residents while preserving long-term public stewardship....

...The scheme is being led by developer Reef Capital Partners....

... the case turns on a distinction: The difference between genuine development and routine activities that were never meant to require permits ....

... 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....

"Bill 88 does not automatically rezone a single property. Instead, it creates a legislative pathway. If the bill passes the full council, individual property owners would still need to apply for a zone change on a case-by-case basis."

"The 2026 Legislative Session is done. After 2,459 bills, 397 housing bills, and a lot of late nights, two of our biggest ideas crossed the finish line."

...The scheme involved 'affordable' housing development agreements worth more than $11 million....

...This, in spite of an alleged ‘90-day processing pathway’ written into Bill 7 of 2019.... 

...County acquiring MLP’s West Maui water system, along with select Upcountry water infrastructure and other MLP assets....

... Factory-built housing will now be permitted as permanent housing if ....

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

... meaningful housing reform proposals that passed and are awaiting the governor’s approval ....

... projects stall out because of inflexible rules ....

... 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....

“there has not been a single commercial rebuild permit approved in almost two and a half years since the fires.”

...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 ....

... 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....

... several of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii’s priority measures are still in play ....

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