I have a confession. For the first time in over four years, I watched an entire County Council meeting.
I’d be lying if I said that it was anything less than painful. Not boring. It was interesting and even fascinating at times, but tedious, painful to watch, and even more painful to listen to.
God bless them for being willing to serve.
The main issue on the table was Resolution No. 2022-22, proposing a charter amendment requiring a minimum of 2% of real-property-tax revenues be dedicated every year for affordable housing. If the resolution is passed by the council, a question will be placed on the ballot stating, “Shall two percent (2%) of real property tax revenues be earmarked for the purpose of affordable housing?”
Kauai voters would then decide yes or no.
Maui voters have approved a similar proposal for 3%, and Honolulu voters will be given the choice in November to increase their existing 0.5% to 1%.
Kudos to Vice Chair Mason Chock and Councilmember Luke Evslin for introducing it and persevering in their effort to make affordable housing a top priority for Kaua‘i County.
Fortunately, the measure passed on Wednesday, and is now scheduled for a July 20 public hearing.
While the vote was unanimous in support, the reality is that Council Chair Arryl Kaneshiro and Councilmember Bill DeCosta are adamantly and ardently opposed.
They made clear they don’t like it, but voted yes to allow it to be scheduled for a public hearing.
Fortunately, Councilmember KipuKai Kuali‘i was in strong support, and repeatedly emphasized the voters of Kaua‘i deserved the right to decide for themselves whether affordable housing should receive dedicated funding or not.
The depth of support for more-affordable housing “today” could be felt in the voice and in the heart of Councilmember and former Mayor Bernard Carvalho, who cast a strong yes vote.
Councilmember Felicia Cowden, after extended and detailed discussion, cast her vote also in support of the resolution.
Chair Kaneshiro said he believes affordable housing is important, but that lots of county services were important. His preference is to budget “year to year,” and he opposes the county making a long-term, irrevocable commitment to building more affordable housing.
While his argument may appeal to the budget hawks of the world, what he is saying also is that the voters of Kaua‘i County should not be given the opportunity to weigh in on an issue that is fundamental to our collective quality of life.
Councilmember DeCosta also said he believed affordable housing was important. His primary concern seemed to revolve around the risk that affordable housing would fall into the hands of new residents from the mainland. He seemed obsessed with the idea that people from the mainland were squeezing out locals and that the money proposed to be set aside for affordable housing would unduly benefit new residents from California or Idaho (two states he specifically called out).
He continually stated that all you needed was a driver’s license to claim residency and thus qualify for affordable-housing benefits.
DeCosta’s assertions were repeatedly refuted by other councilmembers and by the head of the County Housing Agency. It was stated over and over again that proving residency was only one factor out of numerous others that a prospective buyer or renter must comply with in order to qualify for an affordable “for-purchase” or “for-rent” unit.
The truth is that new residents represent an infinitesimal number of the folks who benefit from publicly subsidized affordable housing.
Why do I say observing the council in action was a “painful” experience? Though the outcome was a positive one, the conversation and debate was tedious, and at times unpleasant to observe.
The meeting briefly fell into personal-insult territory when Councilmember DeCosta accused Councilmember Felicia Cowden of “playing the victim” (his words). She earlier had made a comment about being an “outlier” after three amendments she had proposed were voted down 6 to 1. To her credit, she did not rise to the bait and respond in kind. The moment, though tense for a few seconds, thus passed without escalation.
But please don’t take my word for it. Watch the meeting yourself. Start around the 2.5-hour mark and fast forward through breaks and lunch (and some of the more tedious conversation) at kauai.granicus.com/player/clip/2455?view_id=2&redirect=true
Most importantly, if increasing the supply of truly-affordable housing on Kaua‘i is important to you, submit email testimony ASAP to counciltestimony@kauai.gov. Share this request with friends and show up at the public hearing scheduled for July 20 at 8:30 a.m.
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Gary Hooser is the former vice-chair of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and served eight years in the state Senate, where he was majority leader. He also served for eight years on the Kaua‘i County Council, and was the former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control. He serves in a volunteer capacity as board president of the Hawai‘i Alliance for Progressive Action and is executive director of the Pono Hawai‘i Initiative.
While I believe affordable housing is needed, I am against spending taxpayer dollars for affordable housing that could be spent on needs that benefit all of us, not just a few. Roads, education, health, etc are better uses of our taxpayer dollars. There are better ways to provide affordable housing without diverting tax dollars. Why not require developers to build affordable housing if they want to develop, maybe one affordable unit for each 2 market-price homes or condos?
The question still remains: Where will this “affordable” housing be built? The real problem, aside from rapidly rising costs of material, labor, etc, is a complete lack of building lots all thanks to the nonsensical land-use regulations and zoning restrictions. All, of course, caused by the very ones now trying to resolve the issue by throwing taxpayer money at it.
This is doomed to failure until the restrictive laws/rules are abolished. These political types are the very definition of insanity…they keep doing the same things over and over, expecting different results. They, of course, will NEVER accept or acknowledge responsibility for the crisis they have caused by clinging to disastrous policies.
RSW
Gary –
As a good D you summarized 4hrs. of discussion into talking point that fit your narrative and forgot to share the bigger problem that faces the houseless on Kauai.
As Council member DeCosta skillfully pointed out many of the homeless have come from California quickly claim residency, vote, get a driver license, get free medical insurance, and take from existing food banks.
Voting Yes on a proposed Amendment would create endless supply of low-cost housing and will further enhance a magnet for more mainlanders to call Kauai their home that bring their Meth, Fentanyl, and dealers with them courtesy of the US Mail.
At issue is the 40 million surplus this year and the over 150 million that has been collected from the very profitable TVR and Vacation rental property taxes on Kauai over the last 10 years.
Why any voter would want to Vote Yes on creating more homelessness creating a magnet for many drug users in California to relocate to Kauai would be a mistake embedded into the Law. The US Constitution provides for equality of race, religion, and does not discriminate what State you’re from.
As Council Chair Kanishero pointed out its the job of the Council to vote on issues based on need on an annual basis and that funding for many projects are moving forward.
Mr. Hooser is it your intention to keep spewing liberal policies on Kauai like a good D, have you not seen what’s happening in cities like Honolulu, San Francisco, Los Angeles, all have opted for policies like you’re suggesting. Just because Maui or other islands are doing something maybe they can take on the homeless on Kauai and the Council can direct funds to fixing the source. Many jobs are open for these folks to work and many do work in the vacatiuon rental industry.
If Kauai has a surplus and really would like to create a better place for all residents, commonsense policies need to overcome liberal thinking democrat policies needs to be replaced by common sense Independant voters. Investing in after school programs, including tutors for every Keiki, grants for teachers, paying for drug treatment center off island, and sending mainland drifters a one-way ticket home needs to take a priority is a much better way to spend 4m annually.
What needs to change is the same old politics followed by the same personalities year after year.
Vote 2022
Well said BK, Gary has failed since the 80’s to actually do anything worth while to solve these problems. It has always been talk. Gary is a failed politician grasping at the last straws of relevancy which seems to be fueled by his appearances in TGI. All he has done is take care of his inner circle and leaving We The People stuck with the same problems and an expensive bill for something that never was.
Many have woken up and are realizing the Democratic party is nothing close to what it was of the past and someone like JFK would be seen as extreme. All they do now is take money from hard working people and spend it on programs that have no chance of working in reality. Their shiny ball now is the green new deal. Just ask Germany how that is working out right now as they fire up more coal plants again because they just realized solar panels and turbines and whatever else you got in mind will not work. They are all insane for trying to transition us all so quickly to another platform so that is not even being close to self sustaining.
Affordable housing is top priority in hawaii,
Of course you have these new transplants trying to sway the council away from this issue with horror storries just to enrich themselves and there special interests cronie
Freinds…Oh and the reason we have no workers on kauai is because the “working class” are moving away and being replaced by the elite who have no interest in finding a job…Wake up kauai.