Wage measures still alive
A bill in the state House of Representatives that would increase the minimum wage cleared a committee hurdle Tuesday.
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.
Bill would raise minimum hourly wage to $15
Hawaiʻi’s hourly minimum wage would increase over two years to $15 by 2020 under a proposal advanced Tuesday by the Senate Labor Committee.
The to-do list for the 2018 legislative session
What should be at the top of the to-do list for Hawaiʻi’s legislators this session? From our high cost of living, to affordable housing, to climate change, the breadth of issues could make this one of the most pivotal years for lawmakers—or it could be politics as usual.
Health and human services providers gearing up for legislative session
A $15 an hour minimum wage and an increase in the low income renter’s credit will help struggling families.
Lawyering for Social Justice
Grassroots Institute’s Keliʻi Akina interviews Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Gavin Thornton on the work Appleseed does to help low-income families find the legal resources needed to navigate the inequities and power imbalances of our current socioeconomic system.
Affordable-housing rules are tightened
Affordable-housing advocates maintain that a city proposal for interim housing requirements for projects with zoning exemptions in transit-oriented development areas does not go far enough to meet Oʻahu’s housing shortage.
Hawaiʻi's $28B budget a mixed bag on homelessness, housing
While lawmakers committed more money this year to homelessness services and enforcing rules prohibiting living on sidewalks than they did last year, housing advocates say the money set aside for affordable housing development won't go far enough to allay Hawaiʻi's housing and homelessness crisis.
Advocates fear Hawaiʻi’s sick leave bill abandons workers in need
But industry groups say bills that mandate paid sick leave for workers and expand the state’s current family leave law will push prices higher.
Affordable-housing stakeholders argue city’s plan
Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s affordable housing proposal has generated mixed reviews from the development community and housing advocates.
Town Square: temporary vacation rental regulation
Two bills currently at the legislature allow transient accommodations brokers to register as tax collection agents and have explicit requirements regarding the general excise and the transient accommodations taxes. Today on Town Square we’ll consider the bills in detail.
Housing advocates build small home on Hawaiʻi capitol lawn
The 400-square-foot studio was built there to showcase the growing interest in units that can be built alongside existing homes.
Tiny homes highlight one solution to Hawaiʻi's housing shortage
Habitat for Humanity teamed up with the Hawaiʻi Appleseed to build the accessory dwelling unit to help raise awareness about ways to help ease the state's affordable housing shortage.
Accessory dwelling units in Hawaiʻi
"Power Up Hawaii" Host, Raya Salter, talks with Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Jeff Arce and Duncan MacNaughton at the State Capitol about Accessory Dwelling Units.
ADU built on State Capitol lawn to highlight statewide need for affordable housing
An accessory dwelling unit (ADU), or tiny home, has been built on the Hawaiʻi State Capitol lawn to raise awareness about statewide housing needs.
Hawaiʻi debates progressive taxes, Oʻahu ferry, green fuel
A tax bill aimed at helping the islands' most economically vulnerable would raise taxes for wealthier families while giving tax credits to those with lower incomes.
Will this be the year for tax breaks for the poor?
Bills that have sailed through the Legislature so far would boost taxes on the wealthy to pay for tax breaks for low-income families.
Should we change the minimum wage to a living wage?
Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage workers are faced with an impossible challenge: dealing with the biggest gap nationally between a state’s minimum wage and the basic earnings required to meet the local cost of living.
Town Square: debt and taxes
With Hawaiʻi’s cost of living and many families and low-income individuals living paycheck to paycheck can policies be restructured to provide fairness to all?