HomeMy WebLinkAboutHodak, Malis
Tsuneda, Kaci
From:malis hodak <malishodak@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, November 4, 2026 2:22 PM
To:Council Testimony
Subject:Bill 147
Aloha Chair and Council Members,
I am writing to express my opposition to Bill 147.
I am a local resident who depends on the short-term vacation rental industry for my livelihood. I own a
short-term vacation rental, and I also work as a cleaner. I understand firsthand how important this
industry is to our local economy and to working families like mine.
Having a vacation rental helps me earn income, while my cleaning work provides another source of
income. These are not just businesses or investments to me. They are ways to make a living in Hawaiʻi,
where the cost of housing, groceries, electricity, insurance, gas, and everyday expenses continues to rise.
Please remember that vacation rentals support more than property owners. They provide jobs for
cleaners, laundry workers, maintenance workers, landscapers, handymen, and many other local people.
When guests come to our island, they also support restaurants, stores, tour operators, and other small
businesses.
As a cleaner, I depend on vacation rentals to provide work. Every guest checkout means an opportunity
for someone to earn money. If short-term rentals are restricted or made too difficult to operate, it is not
only the owners who suffer. The workers who depend on cleaning jobs and other services will also lose
income.
I understand that reasonable rules are necessary. Owners should be responsible, respect their neighbors,
follow quiet hours, provide proper parking, and keep their properties clean and safe. I support fair
regulations, but I do not support unnecessary restrictions that make it harder for local people to survive.
Please consider the hardworking local residents who depend on this industry. Many of us are not large
corporations or wealthy investors. We are ordinary working people trying to make ends meet, support
our families, and remain living in Hawaiʻi.
I respectfully ask the Council to reconsider Bill 147 and protect small local vacation rental owners and
the workers whose livelihoods depend on them.
Please do not take away another source of income from the people who live and work here.
We want to continue working, supporting our families, paying our taxes, and contributing to our island
community.
Please vote NO on Bill 147 as currently written.
Mahalo for listening and for considering the hardworking people of Hawaiʻi Island.
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Malis Hodak
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