What would it take to make the bus free for everyone in Hawaiʻi—not just our keiki, but every resident who needs a ride?

The amendments make the City’s commitment to housing more durable by putting it in the charter, by stretching affordable housing dollars further, by requiring real plans instead of ephemeral ones, and...

The measure would not raise taxes, but would instead dedicate 0.5 percent of existing real property tax revenues—an estimated $8–9 million annually—to programs and grants that strengthen Oahu’s local ...

The amendments make the City’s commitment to housing more durable by putting it in the charter, by stretching affordable housing dollars further, by requiring real plans instead of ephemeral ones, and...

The new data highlights the anti-poverty effects of programs like the Child Tax Credit, SNAP and Medicaid. At the same time, it’s a reminder of what working families stand to lose with H.R.1.

Lauren Bauer and Diane Schanzenbach find that the SNAP cost shift to states will fluctuate unpredictably and considerably from year to year solely based on random chance.

The measure would not raise taxes, but would instead dedicate 0.5 percent of existing real property tax revenues—an estimated $8–9 million annually—to programs and grants that strengthen Oahu’s local ...

Opponents of Hawaii’s new millionaire tax have a familiar warning: raise taxes on the rich, and they’ll leave. A recent Island Voices column made this argument, suggesting that if just 10 of the rough...

The communities most exposed to the climate crisis are often the same communities already navigating the greatest transportation challenges.

A minimum wage increase is not just an economic policy. It is also a climate justice imperative.

Because vouchers target need rather than tenure, they avoid the market distortions that come with rent caps—and don’t create incentives to push tenants out.

At a moment when Hawaii desperately needs more revenue, California’s proposal to tax billionaire assets offers a model for making the ultra-wealthy pay their fair share.

In an isolated state like Hawaii, where shipping costs are already high and consumers have limited store alternatives, replacing fair market pricing with individual data extraction turns everyday nece...

A Hawaiʻi Appleseed report released Thursday details the state’s $20.32 billion executive operating budget and its $4.53 billion for capital improvements, highlighting $200 million for Maui wildfire r...

Built from a year’s worth of writing, analysis, and advocacy, Policy in Perspective creates the opportunity to take a step back and look at the legislative session from a bird’s eye view.

The most significant failures of the session all share a root cause. They are reforms that would rebalance power or resources away from those with established political influence, and toward those wit...

Each year, Hawaii Appleseed analyzes the dense budget bill passed by the Legislature and distills it into a short, digestible primer. The FY 2026–27 Budget Primer explains what the state plans to fund...

Where you live should never determine how far you can go. We’re currently in Phase II of a community-centered research effort focused on understanding the unique transportation challenges faced by low...

Starting this school year, families making up to 300% of the federal poverty level are eligible for free school meals.

The code that claims to make buildings safer also quietly makes the densest, most affordable housing types the hardest and most expensive to build.

Families are encouraged to apply for free school meals as eligibility expands to include ALICE and some middle-income students.

The state is confronting a growing list of challenges that could throw our budget—and the programs and services within it—into disarray. Now more than ever, we need to preserve funding for Hawaiʻi’s w...

At the heart of the re-launch is a focus on greater utility and accessibility.

During the 2026 legislative session, the state legislature could not ignore the growing pressures that Hawaiʻi families face when trying to access and afford food.

Over the next year, the naturally occurring El Niño weather pattern will add to growing damage from climate change.

Looking beyond conventional commuter data to understand how Oahu residents of all ages and abilities get to school, work, and beyond.

Hawaii’s pedestrians are in crisis. Fatalities are rising, our most dangerous intersections remain unfixed, and the people most affected continue to bear the heaviest burden.

On the same day a study was released calling for more accessible public transportation, fares for TheBus were hiked.

One of Hawaii’s most relentless advocates for people without a voice in the halls of power, Victor Geminiani devoted his entire career to securing the rights, and improving the lot, of the poor and th...

One of Hawaii’s most relentless advocates for people without a voice in the halls of power, Victor Geminiani devoted his entire career to securing the rights, and improving the lot, of the poor and th...

On the same day a study was released calling for more accessible public transportation, fares for TheBus were hiked.

Hawaii’s pedestrians are in crisis. Fatalities are rising, our most dangerous intersections remain unfixed, and the people most affected continue to bear the heaviest burden.

Looking beyond conventional commuter data to understand how Oahu residents of all ages and abilities get to school, work, and beyond.

Progress on transportation equity comes in layers—a pilot program here, a clear legal definition there, a coalition that grows a little stronger each session.

While money was tight at the state Legislature this year, it was still another successful year for local agriculture and food security.

Progress on transportation equity comes in layers—a pilot program here, a clear legal definition there, a coalition that grows a little stronger each session.

Legislation that acknowledges the problem has repeatedly failed. The evidence was clear. The political will was not.

A fairer tax code isn’t about punishing success. It’s about making sure all of us can thrive—not just a wealthy few.

Hawaii Appleseed grows its suite of data-forward resources including Economic Justice Dashboard and Federal Medicaid & SNAP Policy Timeline

The single most consequential bill of the legislative session. It determines how the State of Hawaiʻi will fund everything from public education and roads to healthcare and affordable housing.

Only 15 percent of our food is grown locally; 30 percent of families remain food insecure; less than 12 percent of households are prepared for a disaster. This is not a collection of separate problems...

Senate Bill 3028 would give DHHL a permanent, dedicated revenue stream funded by restructuring the state’s conveyance tax.

While measures in Hawaiʻi may not have advanced this session, the conversation around transit equity is far from over.

A bill under consideration would give the transportation department broad authority to direct program funds for its existing projects, without going through the legislatively mandated evaluation proce...

YouTube video by PBS Hawaiʻi

As housing costs soar and the gap between the very wealthy and everyone else widens, we must ask ourselves: who benefits from Hawaii's economy, and who is asked to contribute?