Hawaiʻi advocates for ALICE communities

Hawaiʻi community leaders are rallying together to address the needs of the state’s economically vulnerable communities. This population, described as asset-limited, income constrained, and employed (ALICE), struggles with affording housing, access to healthcare, and healthy food options—issues that were exacerbated during the pandemic.

Representatives from Aloha United Way (AUW), the Hawaiʻi Budget and Policy Center, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement and more hosted a discussion Thursday focused on supporting Hawaii’s ALICE community.

Lisa Kimura, AUW vice president of Community Impact, kicked off the panel with an overview of how COVID-19 exacerbated the difficulties these communities were already facing before the pandemic. According to Kimura, 42 percent of families qualified as ALICE prior to the pandemic. This means they struggle to afford adequate housing and access to healthy food. After the pandemic, that figure rose to 59 percent, and 7 percent of the population was unable to recover from becoming ALICE.

Kimura estimated that a family of four would need over $90,000 in income to “afford the necessities” of living in Hawaii, but many wages cannot sustain the high and rising cost of living. According to Kimura, the pandemic deepened structural inequalities.