Cost of Living

...The rules took effect on March 31 and implement the affordable housing requirements in Ordinance 18-10 and other approvals issued by the city....

...Hawaii policymakers cannot mandate people into prosperity....

...Multiple carbon-dioxide tax bills are under consideration in the current session of the Hawaii State Legislature....

...For many Maui families, purchasing a home is a pipe dream. However, there may be an opportunity for them to realize that dream, if county residents would be open to reforming local housing regulations....

...Elon Musk is going to get even more of your money....

...Is There A Way Of Living In Hawai'i Without All The Problems?....

...the State (in 1967) and the City and County of Honolulu (in 2004) passed legislation designed to dismantle leasehold housing on private lands....

Editor's Note: The Big Island is different because the subdivisions in Puna and Kau change the supply-demand equation. 

...Utility bills have dropped ranging from less than a dollar a month for the average residential customer in Hawaii to about $14 for the same group in Florida....

“Would you accept a rate increase to modernize the grid? How much of an increase? What about a 5%, 10%, 15% increase to your current bill?”

...As much as a third of the food waste in Hawaii is due to food that has gone bad before it reaches the consumer....

...it is never enough....

... it is expected at least 130 electric buses will be added to fleets during the course of the pilot, including tour buses, school buses and public transit systems like TheBus on Oahu....

...Interest-free home down payment loans now available....

...The Hawaii Legislature is considering a bill to add 0.5 percent to the 4 percent state general excise tax....

...The share of low-income households experiencing severe housing cost burden continues to increase....

...Grassroot Scholar Randal O'Toole faults artificial land scarcity for high Hawaii home prices....

...Zumper National Rent Report: March 2019....

...14 Hawaii communities compared -- Hilo is the most affordable, Kailua the least....

...Hawaii ranks among top half of all states for babies, according to a first-of-its kind report. The State of Babies Yearbook: 2019....

...If an eligible person deposits money into the account, a sponsor such as a government agency matches the deposit....

...The tuition schedule for the 2019–20 academic year at the University of Hawaiʻi’s 10 campuses will remain as previously approved ....

...People who use any of Hawai‘i’s small boat harbors, offshore moorings, landings or wharfs will have a chance to comment on new proposed fees and rules....

...‘Perry & The Posse’ hosts Keli'i Akina on morning radio show....

...Here's How Much Generation Zers Will Need To Save For A Honolulu Home in 2031....

...Goods and services are 61.4 percent more expensive...Housing is particularly unaffordable...an average of 9.7 percent of the city's labor force has been out of work over the last five years....

... Thursday, Feb. 21, noon to 1:30 p.m. at the state Capitol, Room, 312 ....

...House Bill 1315 proposes an amendment to the Hawaii Constitution that would enshrine a “right” to housing....

...Hawaii already does more than any other state to discourage car ownership....

...percent of average wages to rent--Santa Cruz County, California (81.7 percent); Honolulu County, Hawaii (74.4 percent); Spotsylvania County, Virginia (73.0 percent); Maui County, Hawaii (69.5 percent)....

...Hawaii residents now owe $4.1B in student loans, up from $2B in 2008....

...The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Insurance Division has released its annual sample premium comparison guides for motor vehicle, homeowners, condominium, and renters insurance....

Among conditions for the buyers of these “ALOHA homes”....

...The Real Cost of Smoking by State....

...Jay Griffin becomes PUC chair immediately....

...Reinsurance programs help insulate insurers from heavy losses if they end up enrolling a higher-risk population with higher claims. Insurers can thus lower their premiums, instead of raising rates....

...It’s too expensive.....

... Hawaii takes the cake as the most expensive state in the Union .... 

...If approved, a typical residential bill for 500 kilowatt-hours on Hawaii Island would increase by $8.21 a month....

...According to the Grassroot Institute, high taxes, high government spending and burdensome regulation were major reasons economic freedom in the state continued to decline; they also contributed heavily to the state’s high cost of living....

...at the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Katowice, Poland....

...the blame can be placed squarely on high housing prices....

...total cost of premiums and potential spending on deductibles ranging from $4,664 in Hawaii to more than $8,000 in eight states....

...The U.S. Census Bureau released its 2013-2017 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates on December 6, 2018....

...the baseline loan limit will be $726,525 for one-unit properties....

...Hawaii has one of the most onerous business tax situations. Another drawback: the highest cost of living in the U.S. Hawaii’s median home price of $708,000 is $115,000 more than any other state....

...Public Encouraged to Apply for the County's First-Time Buyer's Program....

...statistically significant upward adjustments on average are observed across utilities that experienced decoupling....

...how some well-intentioned regulations have had a chilling effect on efforts to build more homes....

Many Hawaii taxpayers breathed a sigh of relief after the state Supreme Court on Oct. 19 voided a ballot question that would’ve allowed the state to raise taxes....