The Hawaii Housing Factbook 2024May 20, 2024The past year has brought significant shocks to the housing market in Hawai‘i. In 2023, only one in five local households could afford a mortgage on the median-priced single-family home in the state. High interest rates make it difficult to finance a home purchase, difficult for developers to finance new construction, and disrupts the filtering… Read More
Maui Wildfire Exposure Study: Community Health, Wellbeing, and ResilienceMay 15, 2024The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is the most comprehensive study focused on understanding and mitigating the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. It aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the effects of environmental hazards and socioeconomic challenges on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the wildfires. Over at… Read More
How does Hawai‘i’s economic geography affect its healthcare industry?April 22, 2024Hawai‘i’s small size and isolation present particular challenges to the healthcare industry, including lower productivity and higher costs, due to its limited ability to take advantage of economies of scale. The state’s high cost of living likely compounds these problems by hindering the recruitment of healthcare professionals who must often be hired from out-of-state. Furthermore,… Read More
Delinquencies have spiked in the aftermath of the Maui wildfiresMarch 21, 2024By Daniela Bond-Smith The devastating Maui wildfires destroyed most of Lahaina and displaced thousands of residents. But many Lahaina homeowners still have mortgages on their properties despite not having a home to go back to. As of the 2020 Census, almost three-quarters (74%; 1309 out of 1773) of Lahaina homeowners did not own their home free… Read More
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.August 31, 2023By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the… Read More
Public Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food InsecurityJuly 12, 2023In June 2023, UHERO’s public health team, in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19, carried out the third wave of the UHERO Rapid Health Survey. The study engaged 1,575 adult residents of Hawai‘i and examined the links between mental health, food security and socio-economic determinants like housing conditions and poverty status. UHERO Report UHERO's… Read More
The Hawai‘i Housing FactbookJune 28, 2023Residents of Hawai‘i face the highest housing costs in the nation. High housing costs lower the standard of living for residents and hinder the State’s ability to attract workers. Some households are forced to live in crowded conditions, some leave the state to find housing elsewhere, and some are forced to survive without housing at… Read More
Public Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach WidensJanuary 5, 2023As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, Hawai‘i’s populations are becoming more confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, driving COVID-19 booster uptake down. However, significant impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long COVID, mental health issues, and the negative effects of long COVID on unemployment pose significant challenges that warrant… Read More
UHERO Public Health Report: Health Effects and Views of COVID-19 in Hawai‘iJune 20, 2022The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse impacts in the state of Hawai‘i beyond the direct effects of COVID-19 itself, including indirect effects on mental health, food security, job security, housing, poverty, etc. In order to address these adversities systematically, the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) is developing infrastructure to inform the design… Read More
The cost of “excess inflation” in HawaiiApril 19, 2022By Daniela Bond-Smith, Steven Bond-Smith and Carl Bonham The cost of living in Hawaii continues to rise. In March, the Urban Hawaii (Honolulu) Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 7.5% higher than it was one year ago, squeezing household budgets and disproportionately impacting low-income households. Honolulu last saw an elevated inflation rate of 6.0% briefly in… Read More
UHERO’s Daniela Bond-Smith is CSS Spring 2022 Research Award RecipientMarch 21, 2022Congratulations to UHERO’s Daniela Bond-Smith for receiving CSS research support funding for her joint project “Building a participatory infrastructure for community-driven, real-time monitoring of the Disabled community’s needs and priorities in Hawai’i"! Read More
The Hawaii Housing Factbook 2024 May 20, 2024 The past year has brought significant shocks to the housing market in Hawai‘i. In 2023, only one in five local households could afford a mortgage on the median-priced single-family home in the state. High interest rates make it difficult to finance a home purchase, difficult for developers to finance new construction, and disrupts the filtering… Read More
Maui Wildfire Exposure Study: Community Health, Wellbeing, and Resilience May 15, 2024 The Maui Wildfire Exposure Study (MauiWES) is the most comprehensive study focused on understanding and mitigating the health and social impacts of the Maui wildfires. It aims to fill a gap in knowledge about the effects of environmental hazards and socioeconomic challenges on the health and wellbeing of those exposed to the wildfires. Over at… Read More
How does Hawai‘i’s economic geography affect its healthcare industry? April 22, 2024 Hawai‘i’s small size and isolation present particular challenges to the healthcare industry, including lower productivity and higher costs, due to its limited ability to take advantage of economies of scale. The state’s high cost of living likely compounds these problems by hindering the recruitment of healthcare professionals who must often be hired from out-of-state. Furthermore,… Read More
Public Health Report: Shaping Health in Hawaii – The Influences of Poverty, Housing and Food Insecurity July 12, 2023 In June 2023, UHERO’s public health team, in partnership with the Pacific Alliance Against COVID-19, carried out the third wave of the UHERO Rapid Health Survey. The study engaged 1,575 adult residents of Hawai‘i and examined the links between mental health, food security and socio-economic determinants like housing conditions and poverty status. UHERO Report UHERO's… Read More
The Hawai‘i Housing Factbook June 28, 2023 Residents of Hawai‘i face the highest housing costs in the nation. High housing costs lower the standard of living for residents and hinder the State’s ability to attract workers. Some households are forced to live in crowded conditions, some leave the state to find housing elsewhere, and some are forced to survive without housing at… Read More
Public Health Report: Vaccination Booster Uptake Lags as COVID Impact Reach Widens January 5, 2023 As we enter a new phase of the pandemic, Hawai‘i’s populations are becoming more confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, driving COVID-19 booster uptake down. However, significant impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long COVID, mental health issues, and the negative effects of long COVID on unemployment pose significant challenges that warrant… Read More
UHERO Public Health Report: Health Effects and Views of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i June 20, 2022 The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant adverse impacts in the state of Hawai‘i beyond the direct effects of COVID-19 itself, including indirect effects on mental health, food security, job security, housing, poverty, etc. In order to address these adversities systematically, the University of Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization (UHERO) is developing infrastructure to inform the design… Read More
The cost of “excess inflation” in Hawaii April 19, 2022 By Daniela Bond-Smith, Steven Bond-Smith and Carl Bonham The cost of living in Hawaii continues to rise. In March, the Urban Hawaii (Honolulu) Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 7.5% higher than it was one year ago, squeezing household budgets and disproportionately impacting low-income households. Honolulu last saw an elevated inflation rate of 6.0% briefly in… Read More
UHERO’s Daniela Bond-Smith is CSS Spring 2022 Research Award Recipient March 21, 2022 Congratulations to UHERO’s Daniela Bond-Smith for receiving CSS research support funding for her joint project “Building a participatory infrastructure for community-driven, real-time monitoring of the Disabled community’s needs and priorities in Hawai’i"! Read More