Blogs
Legalizing Casino Gaming to Fund Homes for Native Hawaiians
By James Mak Times are hard at the state legislature as lawmakers grapple with the fiscal crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several bills to legalize some form of gambling in Hawaii have been introduced this session to generate more tax revenue. Although most have died (a bill to create a state lottery in Hawaii […]
Read MoreNovember Rental Market: Troubling Signs Remain As State Prepares for an Uncertain 2021
By Philip ME Garboden This month, UHERO completed its second quarterly survey of rental property owners and managers (the first from August 2020 can be found here). Our primary goal is to understand how the rental market is fairing during the extended COVID-19 crisis. Are tenants increasingly struggling to make rent? Are rental property owners […]
Read MoreEstimating COVID-19 Induced Rental Housing Hardship in 2021
By Philip ME Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto Several months ago, UHERO estimated the impact of the COVID-19 induced economic downturn on renters in 2020. Much has changed since then, and generally not for the better. New outbreaks, both in Hawai’i and on the mainland, have worked against our hope for a steady and predictable economic […]
Read MoreAre Hawai’i Residents Staying at Home?
By Justin Tyndall and Joshua Hu Staying at home and avoiding crowded spaces is an important way for residents to help contain the spread of COVID-19. Measuring the ability and willingness of Hawai’i’s residents to stay at home is difficult. Having more information on resident movements can help gauge the frequency of in-person interactions and […]
Read MorePre-Travel Testing and Hawaii’s Daily Trans-Pacific Visitors
By James Mak and Carl Bonham The front page headline on Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s October 16 issue read: SOLID REOPENING DAY. Indeed, it was. On October 15, 2020 8,224 trans-Pacific passengers flew into Hawaii compared to an average daily passenger count of only 1,923 passengers the week before. The spike in passenger arrivals is attributed to the start […]
Read MoreCharging Higher User Fees to Tourists at Hawaii’s State Parks
By James Mak “Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono” [1] In May 2000 the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) Division of State Parks began to charge $1 entrance fee per adult—tourist and local—who walked into the park to hike the iconic Diamond Head trail. A $5 entrance fee per […]
Read MoreEstimating economic conditions during the COVID-19 crisis
By Carl Bonham and Peter Fuleky When the long-lived expansion of the past decade was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, many economists turned their attention to new sources of data to track economic conditions. The indicators we have used historically were not timely enough in the quickly changing economic landscape. Take for example gross domestic […]
Read MoreThe August Rental Market: Struggling Tenants and Rising Vacancies
By Philip Garboden Last month, UHERO partnered with real estate groups across the state to launch a monthly survey of Hawaii’s rental property owners and managers. Our primary goal is to understand how the rental market is faring during the extended COVID-19 crisis. Are tenants increasingly struggling to make rent? Are rental property owners seeing […]
Read MoreRooftop solar is now competitive with utility-scale power in Hawaiʻi
By Michael Roberts We need to transition away from fossil fuels quickly, and with inexpensive renewables and batteries, we can do so in a cost effective manner, so long as we employ a sensible plan and the right policies. But what are the tradeoffs involved with how we do it? In most places, rooftop solar […]
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