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.

The state eviction moratorium doesn’t protect every renter. And being kicked out when you’re unemployed makes finding housing much harder.

But advocates say housing is a real concern in a state where there’s an affordable housing crisis.

With the Republican-controlled Senate fixated on confirming President Trump’s nominee to the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, additional pandemic aid is doubtful anytime soon.

“Our work is to bring all these different sectors together and create lasting solutions and changes.”

Under the program, payments could go as high as $2,000 per month on Oʻahu and $1,500 per month on the neighbor islands.

The threat of eviction continues to loom over thousands of island residents as the state moratorium runs out at the end of the month.

Tenants of the Lahaina Front Street Apartments low-income housing project welcomed a federal court decision this week that ensures that the project will stay affordable until 2051.

More than 70 officials, organizations and individuals released a statement calling for a halt to “sweeps” of the houseless community during the pandemic.

To address socioeconomic inequality, Hawaiʻi’s decision-makers need to come up with an effective problem-solving process so stakeholders can come together to achieve concrete solutions.

The program, which is now in its eighth year, seeks to cultivate Hawaiʻi’s growth by equipping local leaders with the skills and relationships necessary to collectively affect societal change.

Uplift Hawaiʻi describes itself as an economic recovery platform bringing together organizations, individuals, coalitions and other COVID-19 recovery initiatives.

Hawaiʻi’s 2020 legislative session was hallmarked by social distancing measures aimed at preventing the spread of COVID-19 that may also have disenfranchised the public.

Together, we can bring about a more equitable and resilient future that honors the people, land, culture, and values of Hawaiʻi.

The allocations of the federal aid money drew criticism from social service agencies while the process of adopting the budget measure, using a method called gut-and-replace, riled others.

This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pivot toward the kind of food system we want for Hawaiʻi’s future.

The Working Families Coalition released a plan to distribute $362 million including CARES Act funds to help families with rent, food, healthcare and more.

Community programs are supplementing the Grab-and-Go program but they too are lagging behind last summer’s participation and may not be enough to meet demand.

Nearly one-third of adults in Hawaiʻi either missed last month’s rent or mortgage payment, or have “slight or no confidence that their household can pay next month’s rent or mortgage on time.”

Lawmakers and others should be taking a hard look at short-term fixes as well as long-term solutions for food insecurity.