Advocacy
Housing Needs Infrastructure. Infrastructure Needs Funding.
My visit to the Capitol, Question 2, and another tool to help fund the infrastructure housing needs.
Yesterday, I flew to Oʻahu for a press conference with the Governor. We are part of a coalition that helped get Question 2 on the ballot, so it was exciting to be there. This is why we keep showing up at the Capitol!
We all know the conversation: “We need more housing.” Followed immediately by, “But we don’t have the roads, water, or sewer.”
Well, those things don’t pay for themselves.
Question 2 would give counties another financing tool called RISE bonds. It does not create a new tax or require higher property tax rates. Counties could fund infrastructure upfront, then use a portion of future growth in property tax collections within a designated area to repay the bonds.
More homes paying property taxes means more revenue, even at the same tax rate. Rising assessed values can also contribute, so individual tax bills could still increase.
Here in West Hawaiʻi, the County has identified the
Ane Keohokālole Highway corridor as an area that could benefit.
This isn’t a blank check or approval for a development. Projects would still need approvals, and the numbers would still have to work.
We’ve spent years talking about infrastructure holding housing back. Here’s another tool to help do something about it.
And don’t skip Question 2. Leaving it blank has the same effect as a “no” toward the constitutional amendment’s required approval threshold. Whatever you decide, fill in your answer.
Originally published on ActiveRain. Republished here October 16, 2026.
