Scott Yunker 12/16/21 Scott Yunker 12/16/21

Raise Up Hawaiʻi demands higher minimum wage

An increased minimum wage would not only put food on families’ tables but put money in their pockets for spending at local businesses.

Noe Tanigawa 12/3/21 Noe Tanigawa 12/3/21

Aloha Friday Conversation: Seizing affordable housing opportunities in Hawaiʻi

This episode of "The Conversation" is packed with discussions about Hawaiʻi's housing and homelessness crisis and policy solutions advocates are working to implement at the state and county level.

Anita Hofschneider 10/21/21 Anita Hofschneider 10/21/21

Biden’s spending bill could be a ‘game changer’ for housing in Hawaiʻi

The Build Back Better bill that the U.S. Senate is debating has the potential to make a huge dent in Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing needs, according to advocates.

Rick Daysog 10/13/21 Rick Daysog 10/13/21

Amid inflation fears, Hawaiʻi business owners and consumers brace for rising prices

Consumer prices nationwide reached their highest levels in a decade last month, potentially impacting local businesses and consumers.

Sarah Kleiner, Taylor Johnston, Michael Casey 6/29/21 Sarah Kleiner, Taylor Johnston, Michael Casey 6/29/21

Rental assistance fell victim to politics, bureaucracy

Nationwide, state leaders set aside $2.6 billion to prop up struggling renters, but a year later more than 16 percent hasn’t made it to tenants or landlords.

Kevin Dayton and Blaze Lovell 5/2/21 Kevin Dayton and Blaze Lovell 5/2/21

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.

Audrey McAvoy 4/29/21 Audrey McAvoy 4/29/21

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.

Gavin Thornton, Heather Lusk and Deborah Zysman 4/22/21 Gavin Thornton, Heather Lusk and Deborah Zysman 4/22/21

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.

Jeanné Kapela and Amy Perruso 4/19/21 Jeanné Kapela and Amy Perruso 4/19/21

Economic recovery should focus on working families

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

PBS Hawaiʻi 4/8/21 PBS Hawaiʻi 4/8/21

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?

HNN Staff 4/6/21 HNN Staff 4/6/21

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.

Kevin Dayton 3/5/21 Kevin Dayton 3/5/21

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.

HNN Staff 3/4/21 HNN Staff 3/4/21

State offers more food stamp flexibility amid record participation

Most SNAP applications are now processed online and members can now use their EBT cards to make online purchases for pick-up at select Walmart locations.

Casey Harlow 2/23/21 Casey Harlow 2/23/21

Legislature considers increasing minimum wage amid pandemic

Advocates argue that raising the minimum wage will not only help workers make ends meet, but also stimulate the local economy.

Sophie Cocke 2/23/21 Sophie Cocke 2/23/21

$12 minimum wage hike clears key Senate committees

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.

Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 2/22/21 Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 2/22/21

Minimum wage hike up to timing

Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, makes a minimum wage increase vital for low-income workers, including many who have been on the pandemic’s front lines.

Susan Essoyan 2/9/21 Susan Essoyan 2/9/21

Hawaiʻi legislators could boost minimum wage to $12 next year

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.

Tom Yamachika 12/21/20 Tom Yamachika 12/21/20

Don’t give me back rent, I want to continue hiding from tax

Some landlords are refusing federal relief money, which makes one wonder about what is going to happen to the tenant once the state’s moratorium on evictions expires at the end of the year.

Lynn Kawano 12/15/20 Lynn Kawano 12/15/20

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.

Dan Nakaso 12/8/20 Dan Nakaso 12/8/20

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.