For all the riches of Hawaii, there are two factors that produce a shockingly high degree of economic struggle.

One is the high cost of living, particularly of housing.

The other is the fact that, as a largely tourism-driven service economy, wages tend to be low.

Rectifying that imbalance is a long-term goal achieved through policies promoting industries, readiness for higher-paying jobs and many other benchmarks for a healthy society.

To say we’re not there yet is an understatement. There are many, many people here who are hurting, and they need help in the short term.

The Legislature again missed the opportunity this year to take the most consequential step in the right direction — instituting the earned income tax credit.

This credit has been favored by a wide range of policymakers as a good way to provide relief while promoting work efforts by low- and moderate-income earners.

Its supporters should try again next session. But there are other initiatives that would lend a needed assist now.

Illuminating the dismal reality of Hawaii’s poor was a report from the Hawaii Appleseed for Law and Economic Justice, released last week. Prepared by QMark Research, it was based on a telephone survey conducted Feb. 17-29, with a sample group of 503 residents statewide.

Nearly half of them — 48 percent — described their own personal financial situation as one of “paycheck-to-paycheck” survival, according to the survey summary document.

Other bullet points were just as distressing:

>> Worries about making rent or mortgage payments afflicted about a quarter of the survey group.

>> About 21 percent felt anxious about coming up with the utility bill payment.

>> One in 5 of those surveyed said they’d faced a medical crisis that caused financial hardship.

>> Almost as many — 17 percent — felt concerns they would not be able to provide their household with food or other basics.

The Hawaii Appleseed Center, a nonprofit advocacy group, released that report just as a bill it supported moved out of a key committee review.

That bill and one other measure should advance for final discussions on the degree of help they offer.

One is House Bill 2166, which expands a credit for low-income renters. It passed the House on a unanimous vote and was cleared Tuesday by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

The credit is for $50 per exemption claimed, but because it has not been adjusted since 1981, it is worth only $19.11 in adjusted dollars, according to testimony submitted by Appleseed.

The new formulation would calculate the credit on a sliding scale at an amount still to be determined.

The center also advocates for the restoration of a provision for annual adjustments for inflation, something that’s been stripped from the bill.

If lawmakers don’t believe this is affordable or practical to implement, there should be language to at least require that the credit come up for review more regularly than 25 years. It’s ridiculous that it wasn’t adjusted long ago.

The other bill still up for consideration is Senate Bill 2454, which has been assigned to the House Finance Committee. It needs to have a hearing by Friday in order to progress, and it deserves one.

This measure would change income tax rates to reduce the burden on almost 16 percent of residents filing singly, 8.8 percent of those filing jointly — 13 percent of the total resident head-of-household filers.

This represents a significant sector of the community, the poorer residents who need this help.

Those earning under $6,600 would have their tax liability zeroed out, for example, with other adjustments along the pay scale for those earning more.

For those at the high end of the scale, taxes would increase, according to the Senate Ways and Means report. This would affect 1 percent of single filers, 2 percent of those filing jointly and 0.4 percent of total resident head-of-household filers.

The committee report, addressing Senate President Ronald Kouchi, said that “this measure will produce tax increases at the higher income thresholds.

“However, your Committee believes that this consequence is an equitable trade-off for providing tax relief to people with the lowest income.”

Given the state of the economy for so many Hawaii residents, this seems a reasonable conclusion.

The Legislature has much number-crunching in the weeks ahead, as the budget is brought into final form.

These bills might need further adjustment to reconcile with other fiscal constraints, but some version should emerge, offering measured relief for the poor.

Hawaii is painfully aware of the plight of its homeless, but not all economic struggles are as visible. Those casting about for a safety net shouldn’t be forgotten, either.