The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice has released a report entitled “The State of Poverty in Hawaiʻi: How Hawaiʻi’s Residents Are Faring Post-Recovery.” The report brings together the most recent available data to provide a snapshot of how low-income residents have fared after the economic recovery from the Great Recession.

While some indicators have improved, many families continue to struggle. Hawaiʻi has the highest cost of living but the lowest wages in the country when adjusted for the amount of money it takes for a family to get by in Hawaiʻi.

Key Findings

• Poverty: Hawaiʻi has the 6th highest rate of poverty in the country under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, which factors in both the cost of living and available government assistance. Rates of children in poverty have yet to return to pre-recession levels.

• Tax burden: Nationally, Hawaiʻi has not only the second highest effective tax rate on low-income households, but also levies the second highest income tax burden on families in poverty.

• Housing: Hawaiʻi faces both the highest cost of housing and the highest rate of homelessness in the states.

• Hunger: One in 8 residents faces food insecurity, forcing families to make difficult tradeoffs.

• Education: Some 52 percent of public school students are economically disadvantaged, which diminishes students’ educational achievement even if they receive high-quality educational services.

Key recommendations in the report include boosting income and reducing the state tax burden on working families through policies such as continual increases to the state minimum wage, the creation of a state earned income tax credit, and improving the low-income household renters’ credit.

Also highlighted are innovative housing policies, including shallow rental subsidies, more funding for affordable homes, expansion of Housing First policies to address chronic homelessness, and inclusionary zoning to facilitate the development of more affordable housing.

To reduce hunger and help children, the report endorses expansion of access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the adoption of new school breakfast models, investments in early childhood education, and increased financial support for our schools.