HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0600.008 2022-2024 FO
13111. 104
COMM. (POD
From: Maki Morinoue
Sent: Tuesday, December 05, 2023 9:34 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Inaba, Holeka;Villegas, Rebecca; Kimball, Heather; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Galimba,
Michelle M.; Kagiwada, Jennifer; Lee Loy, Sue; KierlriI , Evans, Cynthia F.W.
Subject: Bill 104 comment and concerns only COUNTY OFHAWAI'I
RECEIVED ,�,.,/
Time q:5ta.m„ By
Dear County Councilmembers Date 11p0 0 5 2023
First, mahalo to County Council members Kagiwada and Galimba for working on this much-needed challenge
around empty homes from offshore investors.
Forgive my sloppy copy as I push this out on time.
As I did not have enough time to understand this bill, I will add my comments and questions and share my
triggers with incentivizing the wealthy.
How does this bill incentivize and support our cultural demographic?
Are pets, smoking, and local-style gatherings allowed?
Do we think wealthy luxury homeowners want locals around?
This bill invites the continental US's middle-class affluent citizens to move to Hawai'i to meet their lowered
incentivized tax rates rather than housing a local person.
When we continue to lower taxes for the wealthy, we continue to empower them and not our local people, in
my experience.
Bill 104 - I understand it is meant to increase our long-term rental options. I love the intention.
My challenge is lowering taxes for the wealthy, those who can afford multiple homes and keep them empty
because they don't want anyone around. I see them and hear them in my backyard. We already see AG tax
rates for gentlemen farmers, and now this? I have a hard time with this. They need to feel the responsibility of
occupying space on our island by increasing taxes high enough to incentivize them to rent long-term at
affordable prices at current tax rates. They will be making money since it was empty before. It's a win-win for
the wealthy and our people. The increased tax could potentially support other affordable housing goals and
land buyback initiatives.
lncentivizing locals is great; that's a circular economy, and the money stays here. How many locals have an
empty homes? Many locals can't afford to not have a side vacation rental business out of their Ohana unit to
make ends meet. To be able to pay for their mortgage.
We have no protections, no rent control, or long-term leases. We don't incentivize offshore investors to sell to
local people and protect them from a cash sale bidding war. We were outbid several times by $400K to $500K
above the market price. Locals are not protected from having any special rights to ensure Hawai'i is Hawai'i
because we value the locals that live here
Seeing a landscape of multi-million dollar manicured homes empty in my backyard, do we think they would
want full-time locals on their property? Or are we creating another wave of continental us residents to migrate
for affordable housing to fulfill the pukas in our workforce? Unlike the work-from-home computer tech
migration that skyrocketed our rental fees during the pandemic and never dropped.
I find it a complete challenge in culture clash. How do we incentivize Hawai'i State long-time reside is Iiv'ng
here and struggling for a while to have the leverage to remain in their homeland? Comm. No. CO.
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Ref. Dote.: -C - .5 2023
Will these wealthy people value the true colors of Hawai'i? I need to know what incentivizing for our people
truly means and how we ensure we get actual local people into homes with a long-term lease to give them
stability.
I am also uncertain about the Timeshare taxes and know from first-hand experience that many locals have
been conned into the worst business model. It upsets me to see more Timeshares being allowed on our island
and not a moratorium on hotels and timeshares— Kumu Hou project voted in is a fine example, where a golf
course will be turned into over 1,000 timeshare units by the Waikoloa Land Company, using more of our
precious natural resources for visitors in the driest areas of our island as fire increases annually.
So, for what it's worth, these are my apprehensions about the words lowering taxes to incentivize empty
homes. I would love a layman's understanding of what it looks and feels like. It is undoubtedly an important
topic. Yet, I do not welcome more newcomers taking up space within our affordable housing efforts for our
people.
Thank you for allowing me to express my concerns and personal triggers, as I have been on the edge of
displacement for eight years and watched great community contributors forced to move out due to lack of
affordable housing.
Aloha
Maki Morinoue
Holualoa, 96725
Maki Morinoue
Share your ALOHA
"Aloha Spirit" is the coordination of mind and heart within each person. It brings each person to the self.
Each person must think and emote good feelings to others. In the contemplation and presence of the
life force, "Aloha,"
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