Cost of Living

... 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 ....

... 12 states now have median market rents exceeding $2,000 per month, an increase from nine states last year. Hawaii leads the list with a median rent of $2,909 ....

... there are three major sources of uncertainty ....

... the third time won’t be the charm ....

... FEMA will now attempt to wind down the inflated rental prices they have been paying on Maui.  Will it work? ....

... it could get worse ....

... these roadblocks hinder homebuilding, which fuels the ongoing housing crisis that impacts us all ....

... The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii proposals are intended to help speed up permitting and relieve the Aloha State’s housing crisis ....

... The analysis found that New Mexico, Hawaii and New York are the least affordable states for full-time center-based infant care ....

... One of our newer lawmakers recently penned a piece, “Consumer-Centered Property Insurance Can Help Condo Owners” ....

... Hawaii’s lawmakers listened to the people and did the most effective thing they could to significantly lower our incredibly high cost of living ....

... the average family bill will go up from $110 to $248 per month ....