Continuing research into poverty and housing with Hawaiʻi Community Foundation grant

The Omidyar ʻOhana Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation (HCF) has awarded a $20,000 grant to the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC), a program of Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice. This generous grant continues support from the fund, and from HCF, for HBPC’s fact-based research into budget, tax and housing policy issues that affect the wellbeing of the people of Hawaiʻi. 

Devin Thomas is now Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Director of Tax & Budget Policy (as of July 2025).

Specifically, the new grant supports the work of Devin Thomas, whose work as a policy analyst at HBPC through the AmeriCorps/VISTA program has been instrumental in HBPC’s work and impact over the last year.

Devin was born and raised on Oʻahu, graduated from Mid-Pacific Institute and Willamette University in Oregon, and earned a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Passionately committed to equity and justice, Devin’s work at HBPC has included research into housing affordability strategies in high-priced markets across the country, the distribution of state capital investment funds, and unemployment insurance options. 

He is currently focused on updating information about poverty and economic insecurity in Hawaiʻi, especially in light of the additional financial strains resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Regarding this project, Devin said, “I hope that our upcoming report on poverty will shed light on disparities that Hawaiʻi residents may not be fully aware of. More importantly, I want our data-driven recommendations to spur action on the behalf of both legislators and the general public.”

HBPC Director Beth Giesting noted, “This grant from the Omidyar ʻOhana Fund of HCF is vital to our work in support of good public policy. The contribution will allow us to retain Devin as part of our small but dedicated HBPC team for another year.”

Devin looks forward to his second year as a VISTA at the Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center, where he expects to continue to work on issues related to poverty, affordable housing, the state budget, and new projects that address policies that contribute to equity, opportunity and wellbeing.