Honolulu’s launch of new building permit software last month to speed up construction approvals has not gone smoothly, with permits being issued much more slowly than they were a year ago.
Since the introduction of HNL Build in early August, the city has issued fewer than 500 building permits, according to city data shared on Thursday. The Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting did not provide a precise number despite repeated requests. Last year, the city issued 1,247 — more than twice as many — in August alone, a city report shows.
Mayor Rick Blangiardi defended the troubled rollout and, in a heated speech at the Honolulu City Council on Thursday, he lambasted critics.
Speeding up building permits was a top campaign promise during Blangiardi’s 2020 run for mayor and again when he was reelected last year. However, average permitting times have worsened throughout his tenure…