Kefalas, Matsumoto hail progress in reducing housing regulations

from Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, March 27, 2025

Housing reform was the focus of the conversation between Ted Kefalas, the Grassroot Institute director of strategic campaigns, and state Rep. Lauren Matsumoto on the March 11 episode of “The Right Side” radio show. 

Kefalas explained that while many housing regulations began with good intentions, they have accumulated over time, complicating approval processes and hindering much-needed housing development.

“There’s a chart at [the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting] … that shows the number of approvals over the years,” he said. “As the number of regulations have gone up, those approvals have gone down.” 

Kefalas discussed some key housing bills under consideration by the 2025 Legislature, including HB1409, which would encourage homebuilding around transit-oriented development zones like the Honolulu Skyline. 

Other bills highlighted by Kefalas include: 

>> HB422 — Repeals school impact fees that drive up home prices, despite the fact that the state Department of Education has never used the collected fees for school construction or upgrades. 

>> SB1296 — Expedites Maui fire recovery by exempting certain Lahaina properties from the costly and time consuming Special Management Area permitting process.

>> SB1263, HB830 and SB1002 — Reforms the State Historic Preservation Division’s historic review process, which exacerbates permitting approval times.  

Matsumoto, who has served in the state Legislature since 2013, expressed optimism about the growing support for pro-housing reforms. 

“Since I’ve been in office, people have always been talking, like, ‘Cut the red tape. Let’s really look at regulations,’” she said. “But I think this last year is the first time that I’ve really heard that sentiment truly from the majority.” 

To maintain the momentum, Matsumoto emphasized, “We really need people to get involved and to share their thoughts and their testimony to say, ‘Hey, Legislature, we are watching, and we need help now.’”

Kefalas agreed, adding, “The people that make the real difference are the average everyday citizens. What we’re trying to do at Grassroot is just trying to give those people the tools to get active and get engaged.” 

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