2022 legislative session: A big win for working families; but more must be done
Legislators adopted two priority economic justice policies to deliver a significant household income boost to hundreds of thousands of Hawaiʻi workers.
Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center director brings extensive organizing experience
Community organizer and a policy advocate Will White has worked on issues ranging from preserving natural resources to expanding the social safety net for vulnerable populations.
The cost of housing, Hawaiʻi’s top expense, has skyrocketed since 1980
Housing costs in Hawaiʻi have grown by far more than any other household cost—an extraordinary 79 percent increase between 1980 and 2018.
Hawaiʻi’s job losses are increasing economic inequity
Because of the way Hawaiʻi’s economy is structured, those who were already struggling to earn enough before COVID-19 are also the most likely to lose a job.
Allocating $100 million in CARES Act relief to housing support is good state policy
To help more than 100,000 Hawaiʻi residents stay in their homes, $100 million in CARES Act housing support is money well spent.
Setting the stage for a crucial June special session
CARES Act funds must be spent by the end of December, and careful decisions need to be made to address critical needs in our community.
High levels of consumer debt add to Hawaiʻi household financial struggles
Hawaiʻi’s high debt load is usually invisible, but that may change soon as households become unable to carry this burden in the COVID-19 economy.