Census poverty data for 2023 highlights the importance of government assistance
Promising trends for families across the nation, but many continue to feel the lasting effects of widespread unemployment during the pandemic, a rising cost of living, and inadequate government assistance.
Hawaiʻi’s elected leaders buy-in to costly “trickle-down” myth
Passing an “historic” tax cut that mostly benefits the wealthiest Hawaiʻi residents is not the path to a healthy economy that works for working people.
The big budget trouble with HB2404’s over-broad and sweeping tax cuts
Last minute changes to the bill, made without public scrutiny, will increase its cost by nearly eight-fold, while higher-income households will get a far bigger benefit than those struggling to make ends meet.
Hawaiʻi’s serious mental health care needs take a top spot in Governor Green’s 2025 supplemental budget
In addition to funding Lahaina's recovery, the governor proposes increases to much-needed funding for the state's unmet mental health care needs.
Hawaiʻi can increase housing stability through a rent relief & mediation program
Creating and funding an ongoing rent relief and pre-litigation mediation program will increase housing stability in Hawaiʻi.
Legislative agenda 2023: tax reforms to boost incomes and fund investments in our future
Top of the list of immediate challenges for Hawaiʻi is to find a way to prevent our people from being overwhelmed by the high and rising cost of living in the islands.
What made the 2022 Hawaiʻi legislative session a win for working families?
After multiple years with little progress on policy to help working families survive Hawaiʻi’s highest-in-the-nation cost of living, several factors came together to deliver a banner year in 2022.
Community-driven progress on Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing crisis
The only to address Hawai‘i’s long-standing housing crisis is through a comprehensive, community- and data-driven approach designed not to just build more housing, but to build the housing that Hawaiʻi residents need and can afford.
Put more money in working people’s pockets and reduce housing costs
This legislative session, Hawaiʻi Appleseed is pushing hard to implement a significant minimum wage increase, expand successful tax credits for low-income families, and lay the groundwork for housing policy that will mean no one in Hawaiʻi is left unsheltered because of poverty.
Federal spending reduced overall poverty last year despite the pandemic-recession
But in Hawaiʻi, tens of thousands of residents below the poverty line still struggled to make ends meet.
Lawmakers must do more to invest in Hawaiʻi regenerative agriculture
The success of sustainable agriculture in Hawaiʻi will be contingent on sizable government investments in both small-scale farmers and the agencies that serve them.
Hidden data: the untold story of Native Hawaiian children in foster care
Because data influences government investments of tax revenue, data disaggregation provides a voice to the voiceless and representation to the disenfranchised.
P-EBT: Pandemic benefits for Hawaiʻi families to buy food
There’s a valuable new benefit available for Hawaiʻi families with children who are struggling to buy food. It’s called Pandemic-EBT, or P-EBT.
Community sites expand free meals for keiki through the summer
With several new sponsors and sites now on board, the community sites are now serving well over 5,500 children and youth per day.
Appleseed COVID-19 response will focus on assisting state in managing social safety net programs
During this crisis, Appleseed’s concern lies with the working families and children of Hawaiʻi.
Trump’s Public Charge rule could cost Hawaiʻi tens of millions in revenue
The financial cost of the rule change is in addition to the harm done to the health and resilience of immigrant families through the “chilling” effect on benefits-use that has already been documented in Hawaiʻi.
Too many Hawaiʻi seniors are still going hungry
Although Hawaiʻi has made strides to address hunger in recent years, thousands of seniors are still at risk of experiencing hunger across the islands.
No cause for panic: Hawaiʻi’s economy is OK
A quarter of slow growth is no reason for lawmakers to forgo important economic justice measures like raising the minimum wage.
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 Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s school meal expansion efforts will have life-altering implications.
“Occupy Hunger,” urges food justice advocate Andy Fisher
Our current system of addressing hunger in the U.S. overlooks the root causes of food insecurity—inadequate wages and community disinvestment.