In Waiahole Valley we own our house but rent the land from the state. We pay all maintenance, all property taxes (land and improvements), insurance and our cesspools/septic tank costs.

During lease renegotiations, the state recently sent counteroffers to Waiahole residents. After initially proposing a whopping 560% rent increase last July, the state’s counteroffers still propose increases that eventually could reach 555%.

These increases are not affordable! This violates the spirit of our leases and brings about an untenable situation — the majority of tenants simply cannot afford the rents offered. This action undermines Gov. Josh Green’s No. 1 priority to preserve and expand affordable housing.

We’re not asking for special treatment. All we are asking is for what we were given by the state: affordable rents. The state agreed to affordable rents for the working-class families in 1986 and again in 1998, where our leases listed affordable rents.

Kathy Oshiro

Kaneohe

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