UHERO
Briefs
Brief: What if Honolulu upzoned everywhere? Lessons for solving a housing crisis from Aotearoa
In 2016, Auckland, in Aotearoa New Zealand, upzoned ~75% of the city. As a result, permits went up ~80%, and after six years, rents were 22% lower…
Hawai‘i’s Fuel Cost Problem: What the LSFO–LNG Price Comparison Really Shows
Hawaiʻi’s electricity rates are the highest in the nation — roughly three times the U.S. average — and have been for decades. The main reason…
The Vulnerability of Hawai‘i’s Nonprofit Sector to Cuts in Federal Funding
Hawai‘i’s nonprofit sector is facing budget cuts and program changes that could disrupt essential services statewide. A new analysis by UHERO and the Hawai‘i Community…
Considerations for understanding water availability in West Maui
This piece intends to highlight some of the inherent tradeoffs that make managing water in West Maui especially challenging. In particular, subtracting current/authorized use from…
Wealth by Association? How Social Networks Drive Inequality in Hawaii
Studies show that economic connectedness, a poor individual’s share of wealthy friends, significantly impacts economic mobility. Hawaii ranks highly in this metric compared to other…
Taxing Tourists to Generate Revenue to Address the Negative Impacts of Climate Change on Hawai‘i Natural Resources
There is widespread agreement among Hawai‘i residents that the state government needs to spend more money on natural resource stewardship. A critical question is how…
Brief: Dissolving the Hawaii Tourism Authority
By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas, and James Mak State lawmakers in the 2023 state legislature are bashing the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA)…again! This year, the…
Public Campaign Financing: Evidence and Opportunities for Hawai‘i
By Colin Moore Concerns about the corrupting influence of money in politics have led to renewed interest in public campaign financing. Some argue that using…
Hawai‘i Tourism in Search of the Promised Land
By Paul Brewbaker, Frank Haas and James Mak Public pressure has been mounting on the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority (HTA) to shift its focus from mainly…