Nonprofits urge lawmakers to quickly commit federal funds to cope with social needs
The Working Families Coalition released a plan to distribute $362 million including CARES Act funds to help families with rent, food, healthcare and more.
COVID-19’s created an economic burden for women
"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.
New sponsors sought as free meals for Hawaiʻi kids drop for summer
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.
DOE closing some food sites, advocates concerned that community help may not be enough
Nicole Woo, senior policy analyst with Hawaiʻi Appleseed, worries that other community groups may not be around this summer to pick up the slack.
Why the state doesn’t consistently track data on native Hawaiians
Lack of data about how many Native Hawaiians have coronavirus is indicative of a broader problem, advocates say.
Whatever politics are in play, politicians must get money to those hurting most in Hawaiʻi
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.”
Hawaiʻi’s food security shaky heading into hurricane season
Almost all food the state of Hawaiʻi consumes comes through the Port of Honolulu, and there is currently no redundancy in the event of an emergency like a hurricane.
Strengthening Hawaiʻi’s food systems: keeping kupuna fed
Disaster preparedness experts have worried for years about Hawaiʻi’s food security. The COVID-19 disruption has made kūpuna particularly at risk for hunger.
Hawaiʻi’s food insecurity an urgent problem
Lawmakers and others should be taking a hard look at short-term fixes as well as long-term solutions for food insecurity.
Hawaiʻi updates: senior hunger and isolation concerns emerging
Many seniors face food challenges from mobility issues to dietary restrictions. And there’s another factor that’s increased in recent months: social isolation.
Hawaiʻi medicaid applications soar amid widespread job losses
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the fragility of Hawaiʻi’s acclaimed health insurance system that relies on employer-sponsored plans.
This federal bailout is bringing a lot more money to Hawaiʻi than the last one in 2008
The Great Recession’s federal stimulus program focused on building projects while CARES is putting more money directly into the pockets of residents and business owners.
As lawmakers grapple with $1B shortfall, advocates urge them to preserve social safety net
Policy experts say the homeless crisis the state is dealing with today can be blamed—at least in part—on the decisions that were made a little more than a decade ago during the Great Recession.
Want the economy to recover? Don’t cut the public sector
Doing so would prolong unemployment and lead to poorer health, lost productivity and a drop in economic security.
Q&A: Beth Giesting on Hawaiʻi’s economy and Gov. Ige’s proposed 20 percent cut to public employee salaries
Giesting describes the potential impacts of Gov. Ige’s proposal and the actions she recommends to better support the state economy.
Hawaiʻi should put unemployed to work
Tourism’s return may take years, not months, because we need to ensure that visitors aren’t bringing new waves of the virus.
Hawaiʻi nonprofits want more say in how state spends federal virus aid
More than 60 nonprofits want the state to expand its safety net to help immigrants and other marginalized groups.
5 questions with retired head of the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center, Victor Geminiani
Our state and county leaders have critical work ahead to deliver on those values. Let’s hope we put ones in who are ready to chart the future we all want.
Stimulus checks won't cover even a month's expenses in Hawaiʻi
Eligible residents in Hawaiʻi are starting to receive cash stimulus payments from the federal government. But the one-time $1,200 checks won’t go far in Hawaiʻi.
200,000 jobs in Hawaiʻi vulnerable to pandemic recession
With economists predicting short-term unemployment rates as high as 25 percent, the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic will dwarf the Great Recession.