Hawaii household expenses up $1,234 per month since 2021
UN report exposes escalating threat of organized crime in the Pacific
Search and Destroy: Hawaii laws and regulations driving inflation
CB: … In just three years, a household's monthly costs have shot up $1,200 for the same goods and services….
According to the Joint Economic Committee of Congress’s September 2024 economic report, the average Hawaii household has incurred a total of $33,365 in additional expenses since the year 2021.
The same report indicates Hawaii households each month spend $183 more on food, $279 more on shelter, $137 more on energy and $284 more on transportation. Compared to one year earlier, the JEC estimates that locals must spend $169 more to maintain the same standard of living.
A recent community needs assessment conducted in September 2022 by Kaiser Permanente also showed that the ability to afford both food and housing was a significant concern on Oahu, with 18% of households reporting spending more than half their income on housing alone at the time….
The cost of living here is definitely a driver for sending some to the mainland, and others to the streets as homeless. This also is a factor in increasing community tensions, mental health epidemics, domestic violence, crime and numerous other problems that we are already struggling to hold the line on…..
While Hawaii already has a Small Business Regulatory Review Board, what we really need is an independent, highest-level systemic review of how the existing regime of local laws, regulations, taxes, fees, policies and so on work for (or don’t work for) the population’s bottom line as a whole. The scary question we need to ask is “How much of our high cost of living is actually the result of things we have the power to change in local government?”…
PDF: Hawaii Inflation Update - United States Joint Economic Committee (senate.gov)
read … Danny De Gracia: Life In Hawaii Doesn't Have To Cost This Much
58% of Hawaii’s youngest children live with criminals and lunatics
SA: … Hawaii currently ranks seventh from the bottom in state investments in children, with capacity to serve only 25% of children under 5. The lack of capacity affects parents’ and caregivers’ ability to work and children’s learning opportunities.
Additionally, family violence remains a significant issue, with the Domestic Violence Action Center reporting a 240% increase in contacts from women experiencing violence at home over the past year.
Furthermore, 58% of Hawaii’s youngest children live in families affected by adverse childhood experiences, such as family violence, substance abuse, untreated mental health issues and incarceration of a family member. Around 29,000 children under 5 in Hawaii are estimated to have unaddressed mental health needs….
read … Keiki issues a priority for mayoral candidates in Hawaii, survey finds
Homeless Camp: Fires, Guns
HNN: … Zeke Jasso, the property manager for the condos across the street, said most of the homeless on the Kam Drive-In property live in the vacant buildings.
“I ask myself, ‘Why is the building still standing?’” said Jasso. ”We’ve actually had people run to our fence saying, he has a gun, he has a gun.”
Last month, the city’s Department of Permitting and Planning issued a notice of violation to owner CP Kam Properties LLC, which was found to have a Los Angeles address.
According to the violation, inspectors found “excessive overgrowth and flammable weeds” along with other debris and furniture. It also says two buildings on the property are unsafe and occupied by homeless….
read … ‘A fire hazard’: Concerns grow about former swap meet space as city issues more violations (hawaiinewsnow.com)
‘Affordable’ housing so repulsive nobody wants to buy it--State agency bails out developer
SA: … Board members of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. agreed in August to spend $1.7 million to purchase 15% to 20% stakes in 24 studios and a pair of two-bedroom units in an effort to make these Sky Ala Moana units less costly to prospective buyers.
…HHFDC’s investment in each studio ranges from $62,000 to $67,200 and cuts the price for buyers by 20%, to between $248,000 and $268,800, down from between $310,000 and $336,000 previously.
For the two-bedroom units, the agency is buying 15% stakes for about $81,000 to reduce the price to $459,850 from $541,000 on one unit and to $462,400 from $544,000 on the other unit.
The funding is coming from a $10 million pilot program created by the state Legislature in 2023 to help middle-income Hawaii households buy their first home.
HHFDC so far has mostly used the appropriation to subsidize sales of affordable housing that developers agreed to deliver in return for project approvals and benefits including exemptions to height and density limits.
Sky Ala Moana at 1390 Kapiolani Blvd. was developed by an affiliate of JL Capital, and includes 300 hotel units above the 84 affordable condos in one tower, and 390 market-priced condos in a second tower that sold out at prices from $568,800 to $1.3 million before the project opened in September 2023.
Selling the 84 affordable condos has been a challenge.
According to HHFDC, 64 remained unsold as of July 10, which led JL Capital to seek an investment from the agency.
Spencer Lee, a JL Capital representative, told the agency’s board at the August meeting that selling the affordable units has been a struggle in part due to a 30-year resale restriction for the 84 units….
read … State agency helps reduce purchase prices of hard-to-sell units
Hensel Picks up Key Support—Chancellor Decision This Week?
CB: … Hensel was exposed to high-stakes political battles early in her career. She attended Michigan State University and before law school at Harvard served as an intern to the assistant of then-U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist, where Hensel’s resume says she “assisted with the investiture of Justice Clarence Thomas.”…
At Georgia State, she worked with the Georgia Film Academy — a consortium of universities involved with film, television and digital entertainment job training — an area where Hawaii is poised for growth. …
Hensel has also shown an ability to deal with elected officials, particularly those who have sought to interfere with academic freedom. For example, speaking at UH Manoa, she pointed to a time when Georgia lawmakers and the governor sought to target particular researchers teaching courses related to privilege, hierarchy or racial inequity.
When lawmakers tried to identify such professors by asking for a list of courses focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, Hensel says she complied with the request by providing a list of course titles and numbers — but not professor names. The list was responsive to the lawmakers’ request while not exposing any particular professors, she said….
SA: Column: UH leader finalist: Clearing air on discrimination, retaliation
CB: UH Regents May Interview Presidential Candidates In Secret
read … Who Are The 2 Finalists For UH President?
Hawaii Renewable Energy Zones
IM: … Renewable energy zones tend to be rural areas that can be exploited to power urban areas….
read … Hawaii Renewable Energy Zones
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