An $18 minimum wage won’t raise prices dramatically
But a living wage increase will go a long way toward providing financial stability for many in Hawaiʻi.
Hawaiʻi legislature 2022: smart spending could help big problems
The legislature has money available for almost any policy initiative imaginable, and every member of the house and senate is up for reelection.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers finish session after huge federal aid boost
The pandemic wouldn’t have hurt nearly as much if Hawaiʻi residents were making wages that paid enough to cover their basic needs.
The pandemic has transformed how aid groups help elderly in need
Federal COVID-19 relief funds helped local groups coordinate outreach to better serve kupuna who were often isolated during the pandemic.
Lawmakers should pass tax bills to fix our upside-down tax system
Minimum wage earners should not be paying a higher percentage in taxes than those at the top.
Economic recovery should focus on working families
And Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers should pass legislation that supports workers’ well-being.
Hawaiʻi sees ‘startling’ increase in number of children facing hunger
Even as benefits programs expand and school meal programs shift, food insecurity is expected to continue to grow in the islands.
Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center stresses importance of city’s rent relief program
After just four hours, the city's new rent relief program was suspended because so many people applied. The $114 million in federal money is for back and future rent and utilities.
Here’s how tax increases are shaking out in the Hawaiʻi legislature
Senators moved to raise income taxes on high earners, and the House passed capital gains and inheritance tax increases.
State offers more food stamp flexibility amid record participation
Most SNAP applications are now processed online and members can now use their EBT cards to make online purchases for pick-up at select Walmart locations.
Over 400 organizations urge senate to pass American Rescue Plan for state and local aid
The organizations highlighted how state and local budgets have been slashed, causing job losses in critical sectors like education and healthcare that will be central to addressing the public health crisis.
Pursue ALOHA housing strategy
Bold moves are needed to tackle Hawaiʻi’s entrenched affordable housing problem.
Legislature considers increasing minimum wage amid pandemic
Advocates argue that raising the minimum wage will not only help workers make ends meet, but also stimulate the local economy.
$12 minimum wage hike clears key Senate committees
In recent years there’s been increasing support from the state’s leading lawmakers and Democratic Party to pay workers a living wage, but the gap between that figure and what lawmakers have been willing to pass remains wide.
Minimum wage hike up to timing
Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, makes a minimum wage increase vital for low-income workers, including many who have been on the pandemic’s front lines.
Hawaiʻi ranks 50th in low-income children participating in national school breakfast program
Some 25,559 low-income Hawaiʻi children participated in the School Breakfast Program during the 2019–2020 school year—or about 40 percent of those eligible.
Hawaiʻi legislators could boost minimum wage to $12 next year
A bill to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage to $12 passed unanimously out of its first committee Monday, with more than 180 individuals and groups testifying in favor, most saying it should be much higher.
Gaps in Hawaiʻi eviction moratorium leave some renters scrambling for housing
The state eviction moratorium doesn’t protect every renter. And being kicked out when you’re unemployed makes finding housing much harder.
Don’t give me back rent, I want to continue hiding from tax
Some landlords are refusing federal relief money, which makes one wonder about what is going to happen to the tenant once the state’s moratorium on evictions expires at the end of the year.
As economic pain of pandemic widens, need for food stamps soars
The number of Hawaiʻi residents receiving SNAP benefits has risen from about 155,000 last year to 179,000—a 15.4 percent increase.