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GEORGE F. LEE / GLEE@STARADVERTISER.COM
Homes on a Punchbowl hillside in February.
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Thank you for pointing out the U.S. Census report of 34,253 vacant homes on Oahu (“Focus tax reform on vacant homes,” Star-Advertiser, Our View, July 14).
Hawaii has become a tax haven for investors. Almost 1 in every 10 housing units sits empty for much of the year. Every one of these deprives a Hawaii resident of a home, leading to homelessness and forced departures for our residents priced out of paradise.
Partners in Care strongly supports an Empty Homes Tax (Bill 9 [2022] in the Honolulu City Council).
Our coalition of homeless service providers struggles to assist the ever- increasing number of residents unable to find affordable housing. This tax encourages conversion of empty homes into homes for Hawaii residents, and encourages our building industry to focus on local residents’ needs, not investors’. Those who keep their homes empty will pay a higher tax rate, with those revenues dedicated to affordable housing. Win-win!
Marya Grambs
Board president, Partners in Care
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