“Thank you to the governor and our legislators for putting the people first,” Jhoe Rosales, who earns the current state minimum wage of $10.10 per hour, said in a a joint press release from the Raise Up Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Tax Fairness coalitions. “This law will help my family make ends meet here in Hawaiʻi by helping us to pay for our rent, food and other necessities.”

Officials with other organizations in the state agreed with Lowen that more is needed.

“This historic legislation represents a significant and meaningful step toward transforming our economy so that it works for everyone, but much more remains to be done,” Gavin Thornton, Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice executive director, said in the joint press release from Raise Up Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Tax Fairness coalitions.

At $10.10 an hour, or just $21,000 per year, a Hawaiʻi resident with no dependents making minimum wage, who is provided employee-sponsored health insurance, would need to work roughly 114 hours per week—three full time jobs—to afford a one-bedroom apartment, according to the press release. At $18 an hour, that same minimum wage worker would need to work 62 hours per week.

“The state should continue to advance legislation that moves us closer to a true living wage for all workers by continuing to raise the minimum wage beyond 2028,” Nate Hix, director of Living Wage Hawaiʻi, said in the joint press release. “If we can do that, and end the shortage of affordable housing, we can strengthen the working class that is the backbone of Hawaiʻi’s economy.”

“Research consistently shows that, when families can afford to pay for their basic needs, the benefits reach deep within our society,” Nicole Woo, director of research and economic policy at Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network, added in the joint press release.

She said that beyond the proven economic benefits, the bills signed into law by Ige on Wednesday will help reduce poverty and inequality in the state, improving health outcomes and educational attainment for children in working families.