2:22
Hawaii’s hotel industry had a bad year. Hoteliers were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than three-quarters of hotel rooms across the islands empty in the normally-busy month of December.
Bookings for vacation rental properties are also down, but much less than for traditional hotels.
While only one-quarter of Hawaii hotel rooms were occupied over the end of year holiday season, 40% of vacation rentals had tenants.
That still represents a substantial decline from the 2019-2020 holiday season. The specific numbers vary, but all islands saw occupancy rates down between 25% and 50% percent year-over-year.
Notably, the number of properties being used as vacation rentals has also declined on all islands.
Dec 14, 2020
Family Life Center, a nonprofit organization serving the homeless population in Maui and Kauai Counties, announced last week that it has been selected to receive a $1.25 million grant from the Day 1 Families Fund.
Launched in 2018 by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, the Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families, according to a news release.
“We are truly thankful for the generosity of the Day 1 Families Fund for supporting the effort to end family homelessness,” said Maude Cumming, executive director of Family Life Center. “Family Life Center will steward and leverage this gift to create a sustained, collective impact for families experiencing homelessness.”
How To Redefine The Housing Crisis In Hawaii - Honolulu Civil Beat
Myths, truths and steps that can take us forward.
About the Author
Born and raised in Hawaii, Jonathan Likeke Scheuer is a consultant who helps clients manage environmental conflict.
I am now in my seventh year of serving as one of nine members of the state’s Land Use Commission. The LUC is responsible for moving land from Hawaii’s conservation and agricultural districts into the urban district for housing and other purposes.
Over those seven years I have wised up to a pattern that is as reliable as the return of the kolea. Each fall, in the lead up to the opening of the next legislative session, developers and their lobbyists and allies start to squawk about our “housing crisis!”