COVID-19

UHERO’s Sumner La Croix on Island Focus

The Impact of the Medicaid Expiration on COFA Migrants and COVID19

By Timothy Halliday Policy Background [1] Under the Compacts of Free Association (COFA), citizens from three nation-states located in the Pacific Ocean (the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia) are given free entry to the United States. In return, the United States military has access to […]

Unemployment and Underemployment in Hawaii: A Troubling Picture

By James Mak, Justin Tyndall and Carl Bonham In 2019 Hawaii recorded one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country at 2.8%. Only five states—Colorado (2.6%), New Hampshire (2.6%), Utah (2.6%), Vermont (2.3%) and North Dakota (2.3%)—had lower unemployment rates.  The U.S. average was 3.7%. Hawaii’s annual average unemployment had been below 3% every […]

Event: The Coming Covid Eviction Crisis and How to Stop It

The Coming Covid Eviction Crisis and How to Stop It Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 9:00 am Hawai‘i time Register and submit questions in advance HERE. Hawai‘i residents have long struggled with the elevated cost of housing and high rates of homelessness. Now the covid-19 recession is pressing more households to the edge. Join us to explore […]

How Can the State Government Restore Fiscal Balance?

The impact of COVID-19 and the efforts taken to contain it have led to a rapid deterioration in the state’s short- and medium-term fiscal outlooks. At its May 28 meeting, the State Council on Revenue (COR) cut its general fund tax revenue forecast for FY2020-FY2026 by almost $10 billion. The Hawaii Constitution requires the Legislature […]

Estimating the Need for Rental Assistance in Hawaii

By Philip ME Garboden and Isabelle Picciotto Renters in Hawaii are at significant risk due to the economic downturn. Roughly 40% of all households in Hawaii rent their homes. They have significantly lower income than homeowners, with a median household income of $57,000 compared with $100,000 for homeowners. Their housing tenure is by nature less […]

Carl Bonham giving the weekly UHERO update on COVID-19 at House Select Committee Meeting

COVID-19 recovery study

UHERO Research Fellow Ruben Juarez and collaborators from the John A. Burns School of Medicine are examining the recovery and progression of individuals with COVID-19 in order to design better strategies for the recovery of other infected individuals. The project is recruiting up to 100 participants who have tested positive over the last 60 days (anytime on […]

Early UI Data Reveals Differential Impacts of the Economic Shutdown

By Justin Tyndall and Philip Garboden Two weeks ago the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations released its monthly snapshot of individuals receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. The data represents only the 69,729 individuals receiving benefits on April 12th, 2020.  Data is also presented at the county level, allowing for comparisons across our islands. Since the […]