Critics hoped the pandemic would be the catalyst for significant changes to address longterm problems facing Hawaiʻi. But the budget shortfall dominated the 2021 session.

And Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers should pass legislation that supports workers’ well-being.

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.

Senators moved to raise income taxes on high earners, and the House passed capital gains and inheritance tax increases.

Bold moves are needed to tackle Hawaiʻi’s entrenched affordable housing problem.

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.

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.

Governor Ige’s plan to furlough state workers could further increase the already-maddening length of time it takes to process critical services like unemployment.

The number of Hawaiʻi residents receiving SNAP benefits has risen from about 155,000 last year to 179,000—a 15.4 percent increase.

Illegal vacation rentals have worsened Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing shortage while contributing to an overrun of high-impact, low-spending visitors.

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.

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.

The situation for renters is likely to get worse in the coming months, especially after the $600 boost to federal unemployment benefits expires July 31.

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

"It's constant disruption and multitasking, feeling like you're failing at all of them at the same time," says a mother of two who's also working full time.

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.

Nicole Woo, senior policy analyst with Hawaiʻi Appleseed, worries that other community groups may not be around this summer to pick up the slack.