Maui Short-Term Rentals, the Minatoya List, and Housing SupplyJune 25, 2024By Justin Tyndall and Emi Kim Recent state legislation has given counties new powers to regulate Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) properties. A proposal on Maui would significantly reduce the number of TVRs by withdrawing permission to operate for over 7,000 properties. Below, we briefly summarize the policy proposal and discuss the characteristics of the units… Read More
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
Why are Condominiums so Expensive in Hawai‘i?March 4, 2024The median sale price of a new two-bedroom condominium in Hawai‘i is about $670,000, more than double the price in the average state. In this report, we try to determine why new condominiums are so expensive in Hawai‘i. We break down the costs involved in producing condominiums to better understand the causes of high prices.… Read More
The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death riskJanuary 29, 2024Abstract: Pedestrian deaths in the US have risen in recent years. Concurrently, US vehicles have increased in size, which may pose a safety risk for pedestrians. In particular, the increased height of vehicle front-ends may present a danger for pedestrians in a crash, as the point of vehicle contact is more likely to occur at… Read More
New publication by Justin Tyndall in the Economics of TransportationJanuary 29, 2024In a new publication in the Economics of Transportation by Justin Tyndall, "The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death risk," Tyndall tests for the effect of taller vehicles on pedestrian outcomes in crashes using vehicle design measurements. Using recent crash-level data, Tyndall shows that a pedestrian hit by a full-size SUV is twice as likely to… Read More
The Effect of Front-end Vehicle Height on Pedestrian Death RiskJanuary 12, 2024Pedestrian deaths in the US have risen in recent years. Concurrently, US vehicles have increased in size, which may pose a safety risk for pedestrians. In particular, the increased height of vehicle front-ends may present a danger for pedestrians in a crash, as the point of vehicle contact is more likely to occur at the… Read More
The effect of bus rapid transit on local home pricesDecember 1, 2023Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have become increasingly common in US cities. BRT stations provide a local amenity by improving transportation options for local residents, but may also represent a local nuisance due to noise or displacement of other road users. We estimate whether BRT is priced into local real estate by studying a… Read More
Homeowner politics and housing supplyNovember 1, 2023Abstract: This paper examines whether homeowner opposition to nearby housing development affects local councillors’ votes on housing bills. Homeowners benefit financially from restricted housing supply through increased housing prices. City councillors, who approve housing development applications, cater to the needs of homeowners who are often long-term resident voters with a financial stake in neighbourhood amenity… Read More
The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime: evidence from a lottery experimentOctober 1, 2023Abstract: Many North American jurisdictions have legalized the operation of recreational marijuana dispensaries. A common concern is that dispensaries may contribute to local crime. Identifying the effect of dispensaries on crime is confounded by the spatial endogeneity of dispensary locations. Washington State allocated dispensary licenses through a lottery, providing a natural experiment to estimate the… 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
The Effect of Bus Rapid Transit on Local Home PricesAugust 19, 2023Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have become increasingly common in US cities. BRT stations provide a local amenity by improving transportation options for local residents, but may also represent a local nuisance due to noise or displacement of other road users. We estimate whether BRT is priced into local real estate by studying a recently… Read More
Highways and pedestrian deaths in US neighborhoodsAugust 8, 2023The research makes use of a national database on vehicle crashes. You can explore the data yourself using UHERO's Fatal Car Crash Explorer. Abstract: Over 100,000 pedestrians have been struck and killed by vehicles on US roadways in the first two decades of the 21st century, representing an alarming public health issue. We examine the… 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
Maui Short-Term Rentals, the Minatoya List, and Housing Supply June 25, 2024 By Justin Tyndall and Emi Kim Recent state legislation has given counties new powers to regulate Transient Vacation Rental (TVR) properties. A proposal on Maui would significantly reduce the number of TVRs by withdrawing permission to operate for over 7,000 properties. Below, we briefly summarize the policy proposal and discuss the characteristics of the units… 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
UHERO’s Justin Tyndall cited in the 2024 Economic Report of the President March 21, 2024 Congratulations to UHERO's Justin Tyndall whose recent article (co-authored with Limin Fang and Nathan Stewart)" Homeowner Politics and Housing Supply" was cited in the 2024 Economic Report of the President. Read More
Why are Condominiums so Expensive in Hawai‘i? March 4, 2024 The median sale price of a new two-bedroom condominium in Hawai‘i is about $670,000, more than double the price in the average state. In this report, we try to determine why new condominiums are so expensive in Hawai‘i. We break down the costs involved in producing condominiums to better understand the causes of high prices.… Read More
The effect of front-end vehicle height on pedestrian death risk January 29, 2024 Abstract: Pedestrian deaths in the US have risen in recent years. Concurrently, US vehicles have increased in size, which may pose a safety risk for pedestrians. In particular, the increased height of vehicle front-ends may present a danger for pedestrians in a crash, as the point of vehicle contact is more likely to occur at… Read More
The effect of bus rapid transit on local home prices December 1, 2023 Abstract: Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems have become increasingly common in US cities. BRT stations provide a local amenity by improving transportation options for local residents, but may also represent a local nuisance due to noise or displacement of other road users. We estimate whether BRT is priced into local real estate by studying a… Read More
Homeowner politics and housing supply November 1, 2023 Abstract: This paper examines whether homeowner opposition to nearby housing development affects local councillors’ votes on housing bills. Homeowners benefit financially from restricted housing supply through increased housing prices. City councillors, who approve housing development applications, cater to the needs of homeowners who are often long-term resident voters with a financial stake in neighbourhood amenity… Read More
The impact of recreational marijuana dispensaries on crime: evidence from a lottery experiment October 1, 2023 Abstract: Many North American jurisdictions have legalized the operation of recreational marijuana dispensaries. A common concern is that dispensaries may contribute to local crime. Identifying the effect of dispensaries on crime is confounded by the spatial endogeneity of dispensary locations. Washington State allocated dispensary licenses through a lottery, providing a natural experiment to estimate the… Read More
After the Maui wildfires: The road ahead. August 31, 2023 By 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
Highways and pedestrian deaths in US neighborhoods August 8, 2023 The research makes use of a national database on vehicle crashes. You can explore the data yourself using UHERO's Fatal Car Crash Explorer. Abstract: Over 100,000 pedestrians have been struck and killed by vehicles on US roadways in the first two decades of the 21st century, representing an alarming public health issue. We examine the… Read More