Keiki poverty more than doubled last year without the expanded Child Tax Credit
Hawaiʻi lawmakers have an obvious solution at their disposal, if they are willing to act on it.
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.
Honolulu County’s eviction mediation program was a resounding success
Act 57’s pre-litigation eviction mediation program shows a promising pathway forward to greater housing security by preventing evictions and keeping families housed.
A Hawaiʻi Child Tax Credit would keep thousands of keiki out of poverty
After the expiration of the expanded federal Child Tax Credit, poverty rates spiked—it’s time for Hawaiʻi lawmakers to step up and fill the gap.
How Hawaiʻi is funding its $24 billion FY23 budget
The legislature not only decides where money is spent, but also makes many of the decisions about who pays how much to support the budget.
Hawaiʻi’s missed opportunity to invest in working families
The legislature chose to prioritize protecting businesses from tax increases, rather than investing in working families who were struggling long before the onset of the pandemic.
A pandemic recession update in charts
Unprecedented job loss, a rise in housing costs, and inflation in food, fuel and consumer goods has made the pandemic recession especially devastating to Hawaiʻi’s working families.
Highlights from the 2021–2023 Hawaiʻi budget
Critical federal pandemic relief funds will allow the state avoid damaging cuts and maintain its spending levels on investments in the community.
What’s included in the new federal coronavirus aid and what was left out?
The $900 billion COVID relief agreement provides urgently-needed relief to Hawaiʻi’s families, but the short timeline is worrisome and several important items were left out of the final deal.
Unemployed workers in Hawaiʻi can’t wait for Congress
Hawaiʻi has more than 200,000 unemployed workers and contractors. The state must move now to offer immediate support for these workers and their families.
Hawaiʻi still needs federal relief funds
Without further federal aid to state and local governments, Hawai'i is projected to lose 23,700 private and public jobs by the end of 2021.
Counties may need to fill gaps left in state coronavirus response
Some 35,000 additional households could fall into poverty or financial insecurity by the end of the year unless these gaps in state funding are addressed.
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.