‘People are really struggling:’ Hawaiʻi food banks scramble to meet increased demand
Rising food costs and the end of pandemic-era assistance programs are driving a spike in demand for food assistance.
It’s gotten both worse and better for struggling working families
The good news is that 17 Hawaiʻi nonprofits are helping working families become more financially stable, find affordable housing, and get involved in policy.
Ige signs $18 minimum wage increase, tax refund
“This historic legislation represents a significant and meaningful step toward transforming our economy so that it works for everyone,” said Hawai‘i Appleseed Executive Director Gavin Thornton. “But much more remains to be done.”
Ige signs minimum wage increase, tax rebate bills
Gov. David Ige, on Wednesday during a ceremony at the state Capitol in Honolulu, signed two bills that will help Hawaiʻi’s working individuals and families.
Editorial: Hope on horizon for more housing
Might this be the year that Hawaiʻi truly moves forward in providing affordable housing to its residents? With as much as $1 billion in overall funding for housing under discussion as the state legislature reaches its home stretch, it’s possible.
Fighting for a living wage in Hawaiʻi
Workers in Hawaiʻi are rallying at their State Capitol to raise the state’s minimum wage for the first time since 2018. The "What A Day" podcast discusses how workers are being affected by low wages in the highest cost-of-living state in the nation.
Pandemic fuels spike in childhood obesity in Hawaiʻi
Nearly one in six children between the ages of 10 and 17 are obese in Hawaiʻi, marking a significant increase from four years ago and fueling concerns about the impact that COVID-19 restrictions and school closures have had on the health of the state’s youth.
Amid inflation fears, Hawaiʻi business owners and consumers brace for rising prices
Consumer prices nationwide reached their highest levels in a decade last month, potentially impacting local businesses and consumers.
Hawaiʻi in last place for school breakfast
Fewer than 40 low-income children in Hawaiʻi ate school breakfast for every 100 that received free or reduced-price school lunch last year.
Policing Hawaiʻi’s illegal vacation rentals
Honolulu’s weak law makes it hard to crack down on illegal vacation rentals, but a new law is in the works.
Update on state's homelessness plans
A $766 million investment over a decade could house the 1,700 chronically homeless individuals across Hawaiʻi and save the state $2 billion in healthcare costs.
One in 10 county residents lives below poverty line
With supplemental data, Hawaiʻi falls to the 10th highest poverty rate in the nation at 15 percent, or 210,000 residents in poverty, according to Hawaiʻi Appleseed.
Hawaiʻi sues for info on Airbnb owners who aren't paying taxes
The state is taking action to crack down on vacation rental owners who aren't paying taxes.
Hawaiʻi schools can’t seem to give breakfast away
Getting eligible students to eat free or reduced-price morning meals is more of a struggle in the islands than on the mainland.
Kamaile Academy wanted its kids to eat breakfast; here's how they made it happen
Most public schools in Hawaiʻi struggle to get kids to participate in school breakfast: Kamaile Academy seems to have found the solution.
Bill would raise minimum hourly wage to $15
Hawaiʻi’s hourly minimum wage would increase over two years to $15 by 2020 under a proposal advanced Tuesday by the Senate Labor Committee.
Tenants cash in on vacation rentals despite risks
Tenants who sublease their units as vacation rental properties without the owner’s permission face eviction. Those who break city rules also face penalties starting with an initial fine of $1,000 and up to $1,000 a day for continued violations.
Affordable-housing rules are tightened
Affordable-housing advocates maintain that a city proposal for interim housing requirements for projects with zoning exemptions in transit-oriented development areas does not go far enough to meet Oʻahu’s housing shortage.
Hawaiʻi's $28B budget a mixed bag on homelessness, housing
While lawmakers committed more money this year to homelessness services and enforcing rules prohibiting living on sidewalks than they did last year, housing advocates say the money set aside for affordable housing development won't go far enough to allay Hawaiʻi's housing and homelessness crisis.
Advocates fear Hawaiʻi’s sick leave bill abandons workers in need
But industry groups say bills that mandate paid sick leave for workers and expand the state’s current family leave law will push prices higher.