UHERO
Reports
The Hawaii Housing Factbook 2025
Hawai‘i remains in a severe housing crisis. High prices and mortgage rates have made homeownership unaffordable for most residents. Housing production remains slow, with county…
An Economic Analysis of the Proposal to Phase Out Transient Vacation Rentals in Maui County Apartment Districts
This report examines the Maui County proposal to phase out transient vacation rentals (TVRs) in Apartment districts, including removing long-standing exceptions for pre-1989 properties widely…
Return on investment for watershed protection on Kaua‘i
Native forests provide many societal benefits, including protecting freshwater resources that provide drinking water and sustain culturally, economically, and ecologically valuable springs, streams, and groundwater…
Construction Defect Litigation, Housing Affordability, and Homeownership in Hawai‘i
Hawai‘i faces a severe housing shortage, driven by high costs and regulatory barriers that hinder new development. One emerging factor is the rise of construction…
Investigating and Tackling Barriers and Needs for Small Business Success in Honolulu
This report examines the state of small businesses in Honolulu in 2024, using both quantitative data and qualitative insights to identify key needs, challenges, and…
Aging and Hawai‘i’s Generational Economy
Hawai‘i’s population is aging rapidly. By 2035 one in four people will be 65 or older according to the most recent projections. The purpose of…
One year after the wildfires: Rising poverty and housing instability point to ongoing gaps in assistance
The Maui Recovery Survey: Housing & Jobs monitors the housing and economic recovery of fire-impacted households on Maui. This initiative, launched one year after the…
A Proposal for Real-Time Pricing Tariffs for Large Electricity Customers
As Oahu’s electric grid transitions to clean energy, characterized by variable wind, solar, and storage resources, the marginal cost of electricity will become increasingly variable…
Rural Health Disparities in Hawai‘i
This report examines the health disparities between rural and non-rural areas in Hawai‘i, using data from the June 2023 UHERO Rapid Survey. While rural areas…