The Goal: Tourism That Regenerates Hawai‘i, Not Degrades It
A program that limits access at Kaua‘i’s Hā‘ena State Park and raises local dollars is considered a model for places inundated by visitors.
In-Depth Reports
“Living Paycheck to Paycheck Can Be Scary”: How Nonprofits Help Hawai‘i’s Struggling Middle Class Gain Financial Stability
In America’s most costly state, 44% of people can’t afford basic expenses and many more barely stay afloat. But there’s help for the wide spectrum of ALICE residents, including highly educated yet underpaid professionals.
Growing Up in an Age of Anxiety
Hawai‘i’s young people are struggling with mental health issues. Nearly half of high school girls and 60% of LGBQ students experience depression. And help can be hard to find.
What Happens When Private Equity Is Your Landlord in Hawai‘i
The Blackstone Group and other firms have been buying rental properties in West O‘ahu. Tenants say the result can be escalating rents and unexpected fees.
Tracking Hawai‘i Paychecks Versus Living Costs Since 1969
To see if people are better off than their grandparents, we compared wages after inflation, debt loads, where people spent their money and more.
Why Hawai‘i’s Wildfires Are Growing Bigger and More Intense
The unfolding disaster on Maui is a sign of things to come as invasive grasses spread across the landscape and extreme rain-drought cycles intensify their fuel loads. Here's the science behind Hawai‘i’s wildfires, and the experts who are fighting to stop them.
“It’s Always Different”: 5 Child Care Providers Share Their Challenges and Joys
They spend long days teaching, cooking, cleaning and comforting keiki. And please don’t call it “babysitting.”
Child Care Is a Labor of Love (Translation: It Doesn’t Pay a Living Wage)
But raising those wages would squeeze tens of thousands of working Hawai‘i families dependent on child care. Here’s the problem and possible solutions.
“Home for Sale” Sometimes Means Renters are Displaced
About 40% of Hawai‘i households are renters. Their relationships with their landlords can be friendly and supportive. But this two-part report examines when the wants and needs of tenants and landlords conflict, with perspectives from both sides.
Why Rent Relief in Hawai‘i Became a National Model
The government program helped over 13,000 households. One reason it succeeded may have been that people who had experienced housing instability had a seat at the decision-making table.
Hawai‘i’s Public Schools Are Battered But Working to Recover
Steady gains by students have eroded after two years of upheaval. Can teachers, principals and $690 million in federal funding turn things around?
Past Attempts to Build a Rail on Oʻahu
Honolulu has talked about building a rail system since 1967.
How Rail Got to $12.45 Billion and 11 Years Late
We sorted through more than a decade of cost overruns, audits and reports to explain how the price soared and why completion fell behind schedule.
How Honolulu's Rail Compares to Other Federally Funded Projects
It’s common for rail projects to have cost overruns, but few are as large as Honolulu's.
The Three Largest Rail Contracts
We looked through the project's publicly available documents to identify the biggest contracts and how much they cost.
A Look at the Rail's Increasing Price Tag and Pushed Back Completion Dates
We tracked some of the project's major milestones, including cost increases, funding deficits, lawsuits and voter input.
How Will Urban Honolulu Deal With the Rising Ocean?
Eroding beaches, king tides and groundwater inundation are already impacting the urban core and it will only get much worse. Here’s what is being considered to limit the damage.
The Statewide Effort to Turn Filmmaking into Hawai‘i’s Next $1 Billion Industry
Talent, training and financial incentives are driving a new era of filmmaking, TV and digital media production in the Islands.
How Hawaiʻi's Light Pollution Affects Wildlife and Humans
Wedge-tailed shearwater fledging season runs from early November to late December. That’s when hundreds of grounded birds are found on roads and in people’s yards in Hawai‘i each year.
Investing in People, Companies and the ʻĀina
The pandemic accelerates new ways of lending, financing and investment in the Islands.
Deep Dive: Impact Investing
Four elements that define this practice and how you can get involved.
Implicit Bias: A Three-Part Report
Part I examines implicit bias in Hawai‘i. Part II offers ways for individuals to counter their own implicit biases. (One step: Learn to recognize biases rather than deny them.) And Part III looks at how organizations can improve their hiring,…
A Condominium Can Last Hundreds of Years, But Not Its Components
A 40-year-old Honolulu condominium can show its age in many ways: brittle, leaking pipes; cracks in its concrete walls and decks; rusted rebar; and corroded railings and window frames.
The Pandemic is Not Gender Neutral
Working women suffer disproportionately from the recession in their finances, careers and health Nikki Nakamura and her husband still sit at each end of the dining room table, just as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. But so much else…