#Hawaiʻi Housing

Op-Ed: Sens. Donovan Dela Cruz, Sharon Moriwaki, and Troy Hashimoto weigh in on housing. “While tax relief puts vital funds back into the pockets of working families, the State cannot stem the tide of out-migration without taking aggressive action on the biggest cost of living driver: housing,” the Senators said.

“It can take years – even decades – for some people to save the money it takes to make a down payment on a home,” said Lee Wang, Executive Director of Housing Hawai‘i’s Future. “This bill gives young people hope. It gives them a better chance to stay here, to raise a family here.”

Hawaiʻi will need nearly 60,000 additional housing units by 2050 to meet future demand, with much of that need driven by an aging population and rising housing costs, according to a new analysis prepared for AARP Hawaiʻi.

Hawaiʻi Rep. Tyson Miyake of Maui shared a legislative update on priority bills as the Hawaiʻi State Legislature takes its mandatory five day recess.

The Hawai’i Senate Majority today announced its 2026 legislative priorities in advance of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s Opening Day on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026.

The newly enacted laws focus on providing effective remediation for claims of construction defects and delivering essential funding to support critical nonprofit organizations impacted by federal funding reductions.

Gov. Josh Green, M.D., today informed legislative leaders and stakeholders of his intent to veto 19 bills passed during the 2025 regular session of the Hawai‘i State Legislature. Green has until July 9 to issue final vetoes. All other bills will become law by July 9. 

House Democrats celebrated the successful advancement of the 2025 House Majority Package on Wednesday, with all seven bills now either passing final reading in both legislative chambers, adopted through companion legislation, or funded through the state budget. All measures now await the governor’s signature. 

The Hawaiʻi HomeOwnership Center collaborated with key stakeholders to release a new, independently-commissioned report Monday examining the effects of construction defect litigation on Hawaiʻi’s housing market—first-time homebuyers, current homeowners, builders, and the overall housing industry.

With the theme “Building Solutions for Hawai‘i’s Housing Crisis,” Hawai‘i Community Lending held its annual meeting, Hui Waiwai, on Jan. 23, 2025. All proceeds from the event—totaling more than $37,000—go to support housing for local and Hawaiian families.

With the roar of heavy machinery nearby, US Army Corps of Engineers officials showed how rapid progress is underway in transforming the once gently sloping grassland above Lahaina into a graded expanse needed to install 169 temporary modular homes for wildfire survivors.