Dylan Moore
Governor Green Announces SNAP Rule Changes Following UHERO Study
Governor Josh Green has announced that Hawai‘i will implement changes to its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), following recommendations from a UHERO study co-authored by UHERO Assistant Professor Dylan Moore and Nate Hix of the Hawai‘i Institute of Public Health. These changes are expected to provide an additional $45 million in benefits to struggling families […]
Read MoreHawaiʻi’s Unnecessary Benefit Cliff: How One Small Policy Change Could Deliver Tens of Millions in Federally-Funded SNAP Benefits
By Dylan Moore and Nate Hix (Hawaiʻi Public Health Institute) In Hawaiʻi, as in other states, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)—otherwise known as food stamps—is one of the largest welfare programs available to low-income residents. Currently, a family of four can receive as much as $1,759/month in SNAP benefits. In a typical month, the […]
Read MoreWhy Not Just Tax Them? A Middle Ground on Addressing Short-Term Rentals
By Dylan Moore Maui is at a crossroads, grappling with a severe housing crisis exacerbated by last year’s wildfires. In response, Mayor Richard Bissen has proposed a ban on short-term rentals (STRs) in the hopes of converting the approximately 6172 homes on Maui that are currently used as STRs into long-term housing. While this plan […]
Read MoreUnclaimed: Over $15 million in Tax Credits for Low Income Households
By Dylan T. Moore (UHERO) & Baybars Karacaovali (Office of Tax Research and Planning, Hawai’i Department of Taxation) In 2021, low-income households in Hawaii were eligible for about $42 million through the state’s refundable food/excise income tax credit. But over one third—or $15.3 million—of this money went unclaimed. These estimates come from a new analysis […]
Read MoreWealth by Association? How Social Networks Drive Inequality in Hawaii
Studies show that economic connectedness, a poor individual’s share of wealthy friends, significantly impacts economic mobility. Hawaii ranks highly in this metric compared to other states, but disparities exist in local schools. Private high schools have much higher economic connectedness than public schools, driven mainly by students’ exposure to wealthy peers. To improve connectedness, policymakers […]
Read MoreAfter the Maui wildfires: The road ahead.
By Steven Bond-Smith, Daniela Bond-Smith, Carl Bonham, Leah Bremer, Kim Burnett, Makena Coffman, Peter Fuleky, Byron Gangnes, Rachel Inafuku, Ruben Juarez, Sumner La Croix, Colin Moore, Dylan Moore, Nori Tarui, Justin Tyndall, and Chris Wada The immediate recovery efforts from the devastating Maui wildfires continue, and at UHERO we share our community’s anguish over the […]
Read MoreCliffs in the GAP: A Design Flaw with an Easy Fix
By Dylan Moore How much more am I getting? I’m getting $80 a month before taxes, and I’m going to lose a $1000 benefit… It’s so stupid. This quote—from a parent in California1—describes the frustrations that policy “cliffs” can cause for low-income working families. A “cliff” occurs when a large benefit is suddenly withdrawn when […]
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