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Housing

Audit Bashes Honolulu’s Rent Subsidy Program For Not Collecting Debts Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Audit Bashes Honolulu’s Rent Subsidy Program For Not Collecting Debts

The Section 8 program, which administers federal money, isn’t doing enough to prevent fraud and recruit landlords, a city audit found.

Council Members Put Mayor’s Call For Sprinkler Retrofitting On Hold Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Council Members Put Mayor’s Call For Sprinkler Retrofitting On Hold

They approve a call for a fire safety group established more than 10 years ago to reconvene.

Is This Kahala Man’s Pitch To Help The Homeless For Real? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Is This Kahala Man’s Pitch To Help The Homeless For Real?

Some people are skeptical of a man with a criminal past who says he wants to sell his multimillion-dollar Kahala home and give $200,000 to a foundation to help working homeless families.

Honolulu Is Paying Back $1.45 Million In Federal Housing Funds Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2017

Honolulu Is Paying Back $1.45 Million In Federal Housing Funds

The city approved a contract to rehabilitate Kahuku Elderly housing complex despite the appearance of a conflict of interest, a federal audit found.

Is It Fair To Profit From Reselling Affordable Housing? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Is It Fair To Profit From Reselling Affordable Housing?

The state considers new rules that would give it some of the equity when workforce units are resold. Opponents say that’ll do more harm than good.

Hundreds Of Low-Income Maui Residents May Face Eviction Ratna Heilscher

Hundreds Of Low-Income Maui Residents May Face Eviction

Their taxpayer-subsidized apartment building was supposed to be affordable for 50 years. But a loophole could end that arrangement far sooner.

Opposition To Foreign Condo Sales Raises Legal Questions Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Opposition To Foreign Condo Sales Raises Legal Questions

Did a City Council member create legal risks by suggesting the council might deny a development permit if the condos were sold to Chinese buyers?

Competing Airbnb Bills Set Off Lobbying Battle Screenshot

Competing Airbnb Bills Set Off Lobbying Battle

A  bill letting online brokers serve as tax collectors is likely to pass, but lawmakers are still debating giving local governments more enforcement power.

Ian Lind: Why Condo Associations Are Sweating After A Judge’s Ruling Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Ian Lind: Why Condo Associations Are Sweating After A Judge’s Ruling

Improper foreclosure procedures were sometimes used, a federal judge found, and the stakes could be staggeringly high.

Lawmakers Fail To Fund Hawaii’s Ambitious Housing Plans — Again Nathan Eagle/Civil Beat

Lawmakers Fail To Fund Hawaii’s Ambitious Housing Plans — Again

Lowered revenue forecasts are deflating hopes during a legislative session that started with the potential for real change.