Cost of Living

... Hawaii ranked dead last for the amount of square footage $300,000 can buy -- 443 square feet ....

... a leftover Unity House scheme could be costing Hawaiian Electric as much as $476M per year ....

“More Native Hawaiians flock to mainland cities and leave Hawaiʻi, citing high costs.”

“...Hawaii doesn’t have a scarcity of land. We build housing and urban development on only 5% of the land mass....”

... assisted living cost up 21% since 2023 ....

... March 11, 13, 20 ....

... multiplying the result by 150% ....

... "lawyers and activists" are now eligible to participate in the DEP program ....

... Residents who spend a high percentage of their income on housing — even if they are well above the poverty line — are also more likely to experience mental health issues ....

... former Hawaii residents are finding it easier to buy homes—especially in Washington, where a whopping 56% of movers from Hawaii achieve homeownership shortly after relocating ....

... Honolulu, Hawaii: essential expenses consume 87% of residents’ income ....

... the Trump administration is reintroducing a 10% tariff on all imports from China ....

Tuesday, Feb. 18: Mānoa Valley District Park, 5:30–7 p.m., Old Gym

Thursday, Feb. 20: Ewa Mahiko District Park, 5:30–7 p.m., DP Multi-Purpose Room 1

... it’s being pushed very hard as a sweet deal, but it has the potential to really stomp our economy ....

... measures related to housing, healthcare, taxes and government accountability ....

... The rental requirement will be in effect for the remainder of FEMA’s housing assistance program, which has been extended through Feb. 10, 2026 ....  

... Honolulu inflation is up 1% in just the last two months ....

... GE Tax: Audit Shows Tourists Pay 14.1%--not 30% ....

... Feb 10, 11 and 13 ...

... government price controls come with negative consequences ....

... your bank account will be overwhelmed by the cost ....

... between 2021 and 2024, the price for a dozen locally produced eggs rose by 28.4% from $6.91 to $8.87 while the price of imported mainland eggs increased by 51.8% from $5.50 to $8.35 ....

... crowded housing, dependency, low levels of education, per capita income, poverty and unemployment ....

... the governor’s state income tax cut — approved unanimously last year by the Legislature — will reduce our taxes by as much as 71% for some families ....

... gas prices, rush-hour traffic, road quality ....

“...HR380 will ensure that no shipping company, including the United States Postal Service, can impose discriminatory rates or exclude non-contiguous areas from receiving shipments. It will also require that shipping rates for non-contiguous areas reflect the actual cost of service, rather than arbitrary price increases....”

... “it’s much easier to spend money than it is to deal with regulations, and that’s what’s going on here.” ...

... Since DoD personnel occupy almost no rentals on the Sister Isles, DoD impact may be inferred by comparing Sister Isle rental rates to Oahu rental rates ....

... 34,181 healthcare positions in the state and a 14% vacancy rate, a significant decrease from the 17% vacancy rate reported in 2022 ....

... 27% of households statewide fear being forced to move within a year—a figure that jumps to 41% among ALICE households ....

"...our focus remains on tackling the cost of living and improving the quality of life...."

... a modest but workable list of policy resolutions for 2025 ....

... Hawaii cannot afford to wait ....

... To date, about 14,000 residential and commercial customers have enrolled in Shift and Save ....

... Hawaii lost 0.65% of its population to other states in FY2024 ....

... Jan 3 and 6, 2025 ....

... It mostly comes down to one thing: housing ....

... Hawaii has the lowest average disposable income, $5,929 per working resident ....

... a few requests for the people of Hawaii ....

... The Department of Taxation Requires Employers Decrease Withholding Amounts Beginning January 1, 2025 ....

... Bureau of Economic Analysis data details disparities in spending power across metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas of each state ....

... the credit for this win goes to you, the people who got involved and made their voices heard ....

... The median price of a single-family home is up 9% statewide and 15% on Maui this year, and mortgage rates hover near 7%. Rising homeowner insurance premiums ....

... The economy (73%), personal finances (73%), and housing costs (64%) rank as the most significant stressors for residents, particularly for households with incomes below $50,000 ....

... State land use laws significantly restrict urban development, meaning neighborhoods or condos can only make up about 5 percent of the state ....

... $10.1 billion ....

"...restrictive regulations...."

... With the income tax reform and the increase in the supply of affordable housing, we expect that living in Hawaii will be more affordable and our state’s outmigration will be mitigated ....

... Reinsurance rates have increased 20-50% per year for the past few years ....

... we only build in Hawaii on 5% of the land mass — 95% is agriculture or preservation land ....