Da cost of livin’ stay still driving Hawaii residents away from da islands. Bria Frazier, one 30-year-old girl from Nanakuli, stay planning fo’ move to Washington state in November or December cause’ da cost of livin’ stay gettin’ too high. Plus, Washington state no charge income tax. ?
Frazier say she neva had fo’ watch her budget so much before. “Now I gotta go groceries and calculate every single item before I reach da register,” she said. ?
Frazier one of da many residents who leaving da islands cause’ of da high cost of livin’. Latest census data show dat Oahu population dipped below one million in 2022. Now, da population stay at 995,638. ?
Gov. Josh Green and state lawmakers stay trying fo’ prevent da exodus of Hawaii residents by pushing legislation to help residents stay.
Green promised to help working families and kupuna afford to stay in Hawaii. “Our cost of livin’ stay da highest in da country, almost twice da national average,” he said in his State of da State address. “In Hawaii, we no can live on da brink of poverty just fo’ provide fo’ our family. One job should be enough fo’ support a family.” ?
With less than one month fo’ go until da end of da legislative session, several measures designed to lower Hawaii’s cost of living stay still on da table, including:
- HB 493 amends adjusted gross income brackets and credit amounts of the refundable food/excise tax credit.
- HB 25 converts the refundable food/excise tax credit to a tax rebate issued annually to qualifying taxpayers after December 31.
- SB 55 increases income thresholds and credit amounts of the income tax credit for low-income household renters using tax brackets for individuals and different categories of households. It also annually adjusts the income thresholds and credit amounts for inflation based on the consumer price index.
- HB 668 allows the City and County of Honolulu to exercise state housing powers for affordable-housing developments.
- SB 763 temporarily exempts affordable-housing projects under certain circumstances from state and county fees, except for fees and costs to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. and county boards of water supply.
- SB 865 establishes the 99-year leasehold pilot program to develop low-cost homes on state and county-owned land in urban redevelopment sites to be sold as leasehold by the Hawaii Community Development Authority to qualified residents. The bill also provides for the disposition of lands acquired by the Hawaii Community Development Authority but no longer needed for the pilot program.
- SB 1268 increases options to build affordable housing by allowing the Hawaii Community Development Authority to conduct a pilot program to lease real property for one project in the Kakaako community development district for a term of 99 years.
- SB 1145 requires that Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. housing projects remain affordable housing in perpetuity.
Da measures stay designed to prevent Hawaii residents from moving to more affordable places like Las Vegas, also known as da ninth island. Michelle Gamble, who left Ewa Beach with her parents for da Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, said da majority of Hawaii locals stay in Las Vegas. ?
NOW IN ENGLISH
The High Cost of Living Drives Hawaii Residents Away ???
The High Cost of Living Drives Hawaii Residents Away ???
The cost of living in Hawaii continues to push residents away from the islands. Bria Frazier, a 30-year-old woman from Nanakuli, is planning to move to Washington state in November or December because the cost of living has become too high. Furthermore, Washington state does not charge an income tax. ?
Frazier says she has never had to watch her budget so closely before. “Now I have to go to the groceries and calculate every single item before I reach the register,” she said. ?
Frazier is one of the many residents leaving the islands because of the high cost of living. According to the latest census data, the population of Oahu dipped below one million in 2022, and now stands at 995,638. ?
Governor Josh Green and state lawmakers are trying to prevent the exodus of Hawaii residents by pushing legislation to help residents stay.
Green has promised to help working families and kupuna (elders) afford to stay in Hawaii. “Our cost of living is the highest in the country, almost twice the national average,” he said in his State of the State address. “In Hawaii, we cannot live on the brink of poverty just to provide for our family. One job should be enough to support a family.” ?
With less than one month to go until the end of the legislative session, several measures designed to lower Hawaii’s cost of living are still on the table, including:
- HB 493, which amends the adjusted gross income brackets and credit amounts of the refundable food/excise tax credit.
- HB 25, which converts the refundable food/excise tax credit to a tax rebate to be issued to qualifying taxpayers annually. It would apply after December 31.
- SB 55, which increases the income thresholds and credit amounts of the income tax credit for low-income household renters by using tax brackets for individuals and different categories of households. The bill also annually adjusts the income thresholds and credit amounts for inflation, based on the consumer price index.
- HB 668, which allows the City and County of Honolulu to exercise state housing powers for affordable-housing developments.
- SB 763, which temporarily exempts affordable-housing projects under certain circumstances from state and county fees, except for fees and costs to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. and county boards of water supply.
- SB 865, which establishes the 99-year leasehold pilot program to develop low-cost homes on state- and county-owned land in urban redevelopment sites to be sold as leasehold by the Hawaii Community Development Authority to qualified residents. The bill also provides for the disposition of lands that are acquired by the Hawaii Community Development Authority but no longer needed for the pilot program.
- SB 1268, which increases options to build affordable housing by allowing the Hawaii Community Development Authority to conduct a pilot program to lease real property for one project in the Kakaako community development district for a term of 99 years.
- SB 1145, which requires that Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corp. housing projects remain affordable housing in perpetuity.
The measures are designed to prevent Hawaii residents from moving to more affordable places like Las Vegas, also known as the “ninth island”. Michelle Gamble, who left Ewa Beach with her parents for the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, said that the majority of Hawaii locals live in Las Vegas. ?
To remind herself of home, Stacey Hewett grows plumeria trees at her Las Vegas home. “The community that I live in has at least six houses that have Hawaiian families living in them,” she said. “So when spring comes around, I bring out the plumer
