Issue Position: Affordable Housing

Issue Position

Affordable Housing - A long term affordable housing plan focused on the specific needs and culture of Hawaii is key to providing housing, while still preserving open spaces and farmland. Expanded use of microhousing, native Hawaiian housing and other innovative solutions exist and can be incorporated into the plan. The AirBnB bill is not a good piece of legislation, and if passed next session will only further exacerbate our housing shortage.
Affordable Housing - As the affordable housing issue is incredibly complex with numerous contributing factors, we need a long term plan to address it from a variety of angles. We can and should differentiate between owner-occupants and absentee owners when it comes to vacation rentals, increase property taxes on non-resident owners, and create a purchase tax on foreign real estate buyers. We can solve this problem if we embrace innovative sustainable projects such as micro housing similar to Hale Mauliloa, and traditional Hawaiian structures that meet safety codes.

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