State tax bill could have major impact on Kauaʻi
A bill in the state legislature could potentially mean more money in the pockets of working families on Kauaʻi.
An $18 minimum wage won’t raise prices dramatically
But a living wage increase will go a long way toward providing financial stability for many in Hawaiʻi.
Legislators consider extending income tax credit for struggling families
Every dollar a tax filer gets from the EITC generates another $1.24 in economic activity. This type of tax refund can act as an economic stimulus for the state.
As bill to raise minimum wage to $18 moves forward, some say hike could hurt businesses
According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a minimum wage worker in Hawaiʻi would have to work 114 hours just to afford an apartment.
Hawaiʻi legislature 2022: smart spending could help big problems
The legislature has money available for almost any policy initiative imaginable, and every member of the house and senate is up for reelection.
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.
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.
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.
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.
How the ‘Build Back Better’ plan saves money and lives
The answer lies in an expansion of the strategy that held the line against poverty in 2020 and that helped America out of the Great Depression.
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.
‘Bold’ plan to develop leasehold condos on state land renewed
The biggest drawback identified in the analysis is that using public land for leasehold housing is controversial.
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.
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.
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.
New state program would give $500 a month for rent
The rent money would be direct deposited into your landlord's account; make sure to sign up for the program if and when the state makes it available.
Hawaiʻi has the highest housing wage in the U.S.
Researchers analyzed rent prices in all 50 states to determine how much was needed to rent a two-bedroom apartment at fair market value without spending more than 30 percent of one’s income.