Fight to curb out-of-control living costs

The fact that 1 in every 5 Hawaii residents depends on donated food to survive is an unmistakable sign that the price of paradise has spiraled out of control. Groceries for a family of four cost 68 percent more here compared to the rest of the United States, and the price of gas, electricity and housing are among the highest in the country. Many costs continue to rise — even though the labor market has yet to fully recover, five years after the Great Recession officially ended.

Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen acknowledged that reality in a major speech Friday, saying that although the U.S. unemployment rate has fallen, negative factors cloud the overall jobs outlook, including the "sluggish pace" of wage growth, the historic low level of employment among the working-age population, and the fact that many people who want to work full time can land only part-time jobs.

In Hawaii, one result of this economic stagnation is that more and more residents are forced to let the cupboards go bare so they can keep the lights on, or pay the rent, or keep gas in the car.

Thank goodness that the Hawaii Foodbank and its vast network of volunteers, most of them affiliated with religious organizations, help fill the gap. The nonprofit organization, through a network of island food banks, local food pantries and meal programs, provides food to more than 123,000 Hawaii households, encompassing 287,000 people, including 47,894 children and 46,000 senior citizens, according to the new report "Hunger in America 2014." Others may need help but aren’t getting it, because they don’t know the aid is available.

The upshot is that at least 20 percent of Hawaii’s total population of 1.4 million people need help putting food on the table — and the demand grows every year. A 2010 report found that 183,500 people statewide relied on the Hawaii Foodbank to fill this basic human need. Hawaii’s current 1 in 5 rate is far worse than the national average, which stands at 1 in 7.

Charities and churches are disproportionately helping to solve broad social and economic problems that Hawaii’s elected leaders and policymakers simply must address more urgently. Potential solutions can be found by analyzing the reasons people use the Hawaii Foodbank, as spelled out in the 2014 report, which is billed as the most comprehensive study to date of domestic hunger relief programs.

Low wages, underemployment and unemployment drive the need, as 75 percent of client-households report incomes at or below the federal-poverty line, which was $27,000 a year for a family of four in 2013. In nearly 60 percent of client-households, no one held a job. Sixty-two percent of clients reported choosing between buying groceries and paying their utility bill at least once in the past year. Sixty-two percent chose between food and transportation. Forty-eight percent decided between food and housing.

This economic triage, an index of the misery in which far too many Hawaii residents dwell, demands a sustained, unified government response. Some progress was made this past legislative session with the approval of an incremental increase in the minimum wage and additional money to develop affordable rental housing, but much more needs to be done.

The ultimate answer is jobs, of course, which must come largely from the private sector. However, given that Hawaii’s tourist-dependent service economy provides so many low-paying ones, government agencies must exert the authority they have now to lower the cost of living for Hawaii residents and ensure that they are capitalizing on the full extent of federal benefits available to ease the pain.

That means, for just two examples, that the Public Utilities Commission must hold Hawaiian Electric Co. accountable for relief for Hawaii ratepayers, and the state Department of Human Services must ensure that eligible Hawaii residents sign up for federally funded food stamps. Another initiative that could provide direct relief has been overlooked by the Legislature for too long: The passage of a state earned income tax credit. The federal EITC is hailed as an effective anti-poverty program, and the state should adopt its own credit to help Hawaii’s low-income working families survive.

The Hawaii Foodbank has distributed more than 1 million pounds of food just since July 1, basic necessities for those who may not otherwise eat fresh fruits or vegetables, only the cheaper processed foods their meager budgets allow. Having to choose between buying nutritious food or paying the electric bill is no choice; it’s a dilemma that ends in economic despair. "Hunger in America 2014" should be a wake-up call for all of us.