Blogs
Migration Effects of the Maui Wildfires: Early Indicators from State Tax Filings
By Dylan Moore and Baybars Karacaovali (Office of Tax Research and Planning, Hawai’i Department of Taxation)* Executive Summary: An analysis of state income tax filing addresses indicates that the 2023 Maui wildfires reduced Maui’s population by at least 1,000 residents, due to both increased out-migration and reduced in-migration. At least 430–510 Maui residents have moved […]
Read MoreMaui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry Workshop
By Ruben Juarez and Alika Maunakea Enhancing Resilience: Building Sustainable Health Registries for Disaster-Affected CommunitiesDecember 4-7, 2024, Lahaina, MauiWorkshop Summary, Lessons Learned, and Steps Forward Executive Summary The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study and Registry (MauiWES) represents the most comprehensive community-based initiative to date for examining both immediate and long-term health outcomes following the Maui Wildfire. […]
Read MoreA Honolulu Empty Homes Tax: Impacts on Housing Supply and County Revenue
By Justin Tyndall Honolulu faces an acute housing shortage, yet tens of thousands of homes sit empty. Bill 46 would create a new property tax that applies to empty homes. The policy aims to achieve two key objectives: (1) expand the supply of housing for local residents, and (2) generate revenue for the county. Using […]
Read MoreHow I know we’re Not in a Recession. (And when we’ll know if we are.)
By Byron Gangnes Try to tell people that we are not in a recession, and you will get a lot of pushback. After all, jobs are harder to come by, prices are high, and some people are struggling to finance credit card debt. Some households are feeling these effects, and those who are not may be […]
Read MoreHawaiʻi’s Unnecessary Benefit Cliff: How One Small Policy Change Could Deliver Tens of Millions in Federally-Funded SNAP Benefits
By Dylan Moore and Nate Hix (Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute) In Hawaiʻi, as in other states, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—otherwise known as food stamps—is one of the largest welfare programs available to low-income residents. Currently, a family of four can receive as much as $1,759/month in SNAP benefits. In a typical month, the […]
Read MoreWhich College Majors Pay the Most in Hawaiʻi and the US?
By Rachel Inafuku and Tim Halliday Despite recent discussions in the popular press, a college degree is well worth its investment. In a recent UHERO report, we demonstrated that the lifetime earnings of graduates from the University of Hawaiʻi (UH) with bachelor’s degrees were 27% higher than those of observationally similar people who exited UH […]
Read MoreHow Expanding Access to Preschool Can Benefit Hawaii’s Future
By: Rachel Inafuku The State of Hawaii has identified a significant gap in preschool enrollment among its youngest learners. Of the 33,224 3- and 4-year olds in the state, only 55% are currently enrolled in preschool programs. While about 20% of families with children in this age group choose to opt out of preschool, there […]
Read MoreWhy Not Just Tax Them? A Middle Ground on Addressing Short-Term Rentals
By Dylan Moore Maui is at a crossroads, grappling with a severe housing crisis exacerbated by last year’s wildfires. In response, Mayor Richard Bissen has proposed a ban on short-term rentals (STRs) in the hopes of converting the approximately 6172 homes on Maui that are currently used as STRs into long-term housing. While this plan […]
Read MorePotential opportunities to diversify the economy of Hawaiʻi
By: Steven Bond-Smith and Sumit Ilamkar The economy of Hawaiʻi is extraordinarily concentrated in the tourism industry. As a result of tourism’s dominance, Hawaiʻi’s economy faces short-term risks from shocks that impact visitor numbers and long-term stagnation from flat and volatile tourism spending over the last three decades. In response to these issues—which became especially […]
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