Hawaiʻi reimposes job hunts as a requirement for unemployment insurance
More than 100,000 Hawaiʻi residents will be affected by the new mandate, officials said Thursday.
This new federal program is expected to help hundreds of thousands of Hawaiʻi kids
The credit is expected to particularly help people who work in service industries such as cashiers, cooks, child care and food prep workers, and janitors.
Blangiardi offering $10 million in incentives to affordable housing developers
The Honolulu mayor hopes the incentives spur private development of affordable homes.
A cautious legislature, locked in the capitol, played it safe
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.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers finish session after huge federal aid boost
The pandemic wouldn’t have hurt nearly as much if Hawaiʻi residents were making wages that paid enough to cover their basic needs.
City Council considers measure that would create a progressive residential property tax
The shift to a more progressive property tax was suggested by the Honolulu Office of Climate Change, Sustainability and Resiliency in 2019.
The pandemic has transformed how aid groups help elderly in need
Federal COVID-19 relief funds helped local groups coordinate outreach to better serve kupuna who were often isolated during the pandemic.
Lawmakers should pass tax bills to fix our upside-down tax system
Minimum wage earners should not be paying a higher percentage in taxes than those at the top.
Economic recovery should focus on working families
And Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers should pass legislation that supports workers’ well-being.
Hawaiʻi sees ‘startling’ increase in number of children facing hunger
Even as benefits programs expand and school meal programs shift, food insecurity is expected to continue to grow in the islands.
Should I stay or should I go? The lack of affordable housing in Hawaiʻi
The cost of living in Hawaiʻi continues to rise, most notably due to the lack of affordable housing. How do we find a feasible solution?
Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center stresses importance of city’s rent relief program
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.
Virus relief money plugs hole in proposed Hawaiʻi budget
Beth Giesting said she still needs to see more details of the House budget but she’s optimistic that Hawaiʻi won’t have to drastically cut spending as feared.
Practical goals for cash-poor city
Housing initiatives that receive taxpayer subsidies should limit rent prices to below-market rates for the location and preserve affordability for the long-term—preferably in perpetuity.
Bill would expand DA BUX food program
The measure is intended to provide low-income people easier access to healthier food choices and to help local farmers and ranchers.
Senate’s tax fairness bill is good for Hawaiʻi—here’s why
Senate Bill 56 accomplishes what most of us would like our tax system to do: It assesses a greater contribution to the public good from those who can afford it.
New federal relief bill will help Hawaiʻi. But it’s still not enough for a full recovery
At the end of the day, vaccinations are what will help get tourists back to the islands, economists say, although it will likely take several years before the economy looks like it did before the pandemic.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers considering nation’s highest income tax
The bill includes hikes to the capital gains tax, corporate tax and taxes on high-end real estate sales.
Here’s how tax increases are shaking out in the Hawaiʻi legislature
Senators moved to raise income taxes on high earners, and the House passed capital gains and inheritance tax increases.
Report calls for better data about and for Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians face disproportionate social and economic problems, but data about them is often incomplete, complicating efforts to improve the situation.