Honolulu City Council approves the 2024 budget

HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Honolulu City Council has agreed upon a 2024 budget.

“Budgets are guiding documents that demonstrate our priorities,” said Council Chair Waters.

Funding priorities include affordable housing, homelessness community revitalization and bolstering public safety.

“This budget continues to make it clear that this Council is committed to action on housing, increasing safety in our neighborhoods and providing real property tax relief for local families,” added Chairperson Waters.

Key points from the City Council’s approved budget includes:

• The Council increased the one-time tax real property tax credit to owner-occupant homeowners to $350.
• In recognition of the large rental community on Oʻahu, the Council lowered the Real Property Tax Rate for the first million dollars of value of Residential A properties, reducing their taxes by $500 for that first million for all Residential A property owners.
• $354 million for the Honolulu Police Department operating budget, a $43 million increase over last year’s budget, with $35 million going directly to Patrol.

• $170 million for affordable housing which includes providing funds for land acquisition, planning, design, construction, and other miscellaneous costs for the development of low- and moderate-income affordable housing, including housing for teachers and first responders.
• $20 million for affordable housing to address homelessness, with a focus on families experiencing acute economic hardship, providing funds for the acquisition of land, planning, design, construction, and other miscellaneous costs for the development of low- and moderate-income affordable housing.
• $35 million for homeless service facilities including funding for the acquisition of land, planning, design, and construction of facilities to support homeless services.
• $18 million for the Community Revitalization Initiative to fund the acquisition, lease, development, and/or renovation of facilities for urban rest stops, navigation centers, workforce/affordable housing, and other community-focused projects
• $20 million for Affordable Housing Infrastructure Development to plan, design, and fund other related costs of infrastructure development for future affordable housing.
• $10,000 as requested by our Youth Commission so that they can continue their outreach and get more youth involved in city government.
• $160,000 for the Department of Planning and Permitting to hire two policy advisors to assist them with the overhaul of the Land Use Ordinance, including Bill 10 (2022).
• An addition of a staff member as well as funding of $85,000 for someone to support the Oʻahu Historic Preservation Commission.

• $400,000 to the Chinatown Task Force, to have HPD continue their work for the entire fiscal year. The council initially said the task force received a much larger amount but they corrected it in a subsequent news release.
• An addition of 16 full time lifeguards along with $1.6M in funding to further implement the Extended Lifeguard Services Program known as “dawn to dusk lifeguards”.
• Approximately $200,000 to the Waikiki Transportation Management Association, which is funded by special loading zone permits, to enforce loading zones and curb management in Waikīkī.

“I appreciate the work and continued diligence of my fellow Councilmembers in helping us craft a budget that we can be proud of,” said Budget Chair Cordero. “I am confident that this budget will help to address the critical needs of our communities. Additionally, I look forward to the Administration’s execution and implementation of the community additions by Councilmembers to improve the quality of life for our residents.”

The budget will become effective on July 1 and marks the beginning of the new fiscal year. The budget measures will now go to Mayor Rick Blangiardi for signature, for veto or to allow them to become law without signature.