Furloughs: Legislative leadership is sorely lacking
With a little bit of courage and a touch of creativity, legislative leaders could rally their majorities and find the funds needed to protect these workers and the valuable services they provide.
Furloughs likely to worsen delays of unemployment, Medicaid and SNAP claims
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.
Task force aims to build trust about vaccine among Native Hawaiians
While Native Hawaiians are slightly under-represented among COVID-19 cases, other Pacific Islander communities have 26 percent of all COVID-19 cases, while accounting for just 4 percent of the population.
Hawaiʻi landlords rejecting $8M in overdue rent
Some island landlords have rejected about $8 million in direct payments to cover the rents they’re owed because they do not have general excise tax licenses and are not paying taxes on their rental income.
Hawaiʻi seeks to be seen as a remote workplace with a view
But advocates say housing is a real concern in a state where there’s an affordable housing crisis.
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.
No rest for the homeless: Bill would ban sitting almost anywhere on Oʻahu
City and state officials say housing is the answer to homelessness. But criminalization can be more politically expedient.
Schatz: don’t fixate on airports when main spread in communities
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.
One year later: The effects of Hawaiʻi’s illegal short-term rental ban
Illegal vacation rentals have worsened Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing shortage while contributing to an overrun of high-impact, low-spending visitors.
Sowing seeds of service
“Our work is to bring all these different sectors together and create lasting solutions and changes.”
Program allows donations for grab-and-go meals
All through September, customers visiting Safeway stores in Hawaiʻi can donate to the annual Nourishing Neighbors fundraiser to support anti-hunger initiatives.
Hawaiʻi Gov. David Ige unveils $100M program to help renters affected by pandemic
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 pandemic-driven future of affordable homes in north Kona
Hawaiʻi faces historic economic challenges, yet homes are still being sold and prices are hitting new highs.
The Conversation: Keeping an eye on housing evictions
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 at Lahaina Front Street Apartments celebrate federal court win to keep rent affordable until 2051
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.
ACLU calls for homeless sweeps to stop while MPD clears out Kahului camp
More than 70 officials, organizations and individuals released a statement calling for a halt to “sweeps” of the houseless community during the pandemic.
Officials, individuals, organizations calling on city & HPD to stop homeless ‘sweeps’ amid the pandemic
More than 70 officials, organizations and individuals are calling for the Honolulu Police Department and the City & County of Honolulu to stop "sweeps" of the homeless community during the pandemic.
Not politics as usual
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.
Hawaiʻi to lose more than $400M per month without extension of unemployment supplement
The federal government’s $600 per week supplement to unemployment benefits officially expired last week. The benefit injected more than $100 million per week into the local economy.
States raid fund meant for needy families to pay for other programs
TANF has devolved into a kind of candy store that many states are raiding to plug budget holes.