HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0158.050 2024-2026P /5. GOUADJ
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From: nawahine kahoopii
Sent: Sunday, June 1, 2025 5:50 PM
To: Council Testimony
Subject: support adding line items and funding to the county budget Bill 31 draft 3 memo 1&
2
Aloha, council members,
This is the testimony of the Kahoopii-Nawahine Ohana
Thank you for the opportunity to support Bill 31, Draft Three, Memo 1 and 2. R -<
Memo 1: adds a new line item titled "Food Security" to the Department of Research and ap EjEzz
Development's Agricultural Contractual Services budget in anticipation of Federal and StatQua&t
cuts that may negatively impact food security programs on our island. Our Ohana fully suppRts
Councilwoman Kagiwada's proposal to dedicate $2 million in funds that could be utilized to
support organizations such as the Food Basket, Malama' Ohana, Resilience Hub Food Distribution,
K6kua Harvest, or other similar programs. In Hawai'i County, over 23,000 residents experience food
insecurity, with over 70% of them falling below the 200% poverty threshold. Food insecurity in the
state has increased by 50% since the start of the pandemic. Additionally, Hawaii Foodbank
reports that in 2023, nearly one in three households in Hawai'i experienced food insecurity. A 2023
report also found that 29 % of children in Hawaii experienced food insecurity, with 6% going an entire
day without food. Concrete steps must be taken to begin addressing this critical issue. These funds
would start to fill a considerable gap in our island's unstable food supply.
Memo 2 - reinstate the $4 million for the Office of Housing and Community Development that was
removed from the Housing Production Fund. The current budget is at the minimum required amount
Of $5 million. The additional $4 million will be used to support affordable housing production in our
county, bringing the total back up to $9 million, which is where it currently stands. Data suggests that
a significant portion of our Island ohana struggles with housing affordability. Roughly 21% of local
households can afford a mortgage on a median -priced single-family home, meaning that 79 % are
unable to do so.
Additionally,
• Hawaii County has the highest percentage of people living in subsidized housing in the state.
• Hawaii has the highest rents in the country, making it extremely difficult for many residents
to afford housing, especially purchasing a home.
Only 20% of Hawaii residents have the income needed to buy a "typical home".
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• In Hawaii County, 4.1% of the population lives in subsidized housing, indicating a significant
number of individuals and families struggling with housing costs.
Hawaii County has a higher poverty rate than the state average.
Hawaii also has a high rate of houselessness, with Native Hawaiians making up a significant
portion of those experiencing homelessness.
• Twenty people a day leave Hawaii because they can not afford to live here.
Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires a multifaceted approach, including increasing
housing supply, reducing building costs, and expanding rental assistance programs —all of which
can be addressed with additional funds.
Mahalo Nui,
Kahoopii-Nawahine Ohana