Blog
No cause for panic: Hawaiʻi’s economy is OK
Hawai‘i’s economy is far from last place, and it’s important for policymakers to know this when deciding how best to invest in our communities.
Whole Foods Market’s 5% Community Giving Day will expand access to meals for children
For keiki who rely on free and reduced-price school meals to get a healthy start, Whole Foods Market’s donation to Hawai‘i Appleseed’s school meal expansion efforts will have life-altering implications.
“Occupy Hunger,” urges food justice advocate Andy Fisher
Addressing hunger requires a more holistic framework that understands the interplay between public health, economic justice, and local food production.
Hawaii Appleseed Center announces Victor Geminiani’s retirement
The 50-year advocate for the low-income community and founder and Executive Director of
Hawai‘i Appleseed Center will retire on August 31, 2019
Protecting SNAP benefits for Hawaii’s working families and seniors
A proposed Trump Administration rule change would threaten the elegibilty of working families and seniors to receive SNAP benefits and hurt our economy. Here's what you can do to help keep the administration's #HandsOffSNAP.
Honolulu just moved to the forefront of vacation rental regulation
Once signed into law, Honolulu's Bill 89 will be the most progressive and comprehensive vacation rental regulation in the United States.
A tax on vacant units could provide housing crisis relief, if done right
On any given day, hundreds of Hawaiʻi residents struggling with homelessness can be found hanging on as best they can under the lengthy pall of Kakaʻako's modern day ivory towers.
Redefining poverty would throw millions off critical social support programs
The proposal to change how the poverty line is calculated would arbitrarily throw low-income Hawaiʻi residents off social support programs they rely on.
Enforcement of vacation rental regulations would restore balance
The Honolulu City Council is set to take up the short term rentals (STRs) issue again tomorrow with new drafts of Bills 85 and 89. Whichever bill ends up being prefered, it is imperative that the council include strong enforcement mechanism in any city ordinance it chooses to pass. This post covers what those regulations should look like, and why they're so critical.
How high is too high? We actually know a lot about minimum wage increases
If the wage rose to $17 by 2024, Hawai‘i's minimum and near-minimum wage workers would receive a total pay increase of over $1.3 billion to spend at local businesses.