in hawai'i financial hardship a study of alice

138 Pages·2017·1.49 MB·English

ALICE:
A STUDY OF
FINANCIAL HARDSHIP
2017
REPORT
IN HAWAI‘I
ALICE® is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This is a project
of United Ways in Connecticut, Florida, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland,
Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
THE UNITED WAYS OF HAWAI‘I
Aloha United Way Kaua‘i United Way
Hawai‘i Island United Way, Inc. Maui United Way
To learn more about ALICE and Hawai‘i United Ways’ work to change conditions for this vulnerable
population in our state, visit www.auw.org/alice
SPONSORS
Aloha United Way is grateful for the support of the following sponsors who are committed to the
success of this project and to helping bring the ALICE message and solutions to Hawai‘i:
NATIONAL ALICE ADVISORY COUNCIL
The following companies are major funders and supporters of the United Way ALICE Project.
Aetna Foundation AT&T Atlantic Health System Deloitte Entergy
n n n n
Johnson & Johnson KeyBank Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation OneMain Financial
n n n
RWJBarnabas Health Thrivent Financial Foundation Union Bank & Trust UPS U.S. Venture
n n n n
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LETTER TO THE COMMUNITY
I’m proud to live and work in Hawai‘i, one of the most culturally diverse states in America.
We have some of the wealthiest communities and residents in the country. We also have
some of the poorest who struggle every day to make ends meet.
The cost of living in Hawai‘i is one of the highest in the nation. This presents a particular
challenge to all of us who choose to make Hawai‘i our home. There are many in our
communities who supplement their income by working at more than one job, have family
members who help provide child care, or live in households with multiple generations to
make ends meet.
Aloha United Way commissioned ALICE: A STUDY OF FINANCIAL HARDSHIP IN HAWAI‘I to help identify
those across our state who are struggling to make ends meet, and to understand the enormity of this issue
and the obstacles these families and individuals in our communities face. ALICE is an acronym for Asset
Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. In Hawai‘i, there are 165,013 ALICE households (37 percent),
while another 47,066 households (11 percent) live below the poverty level. In total, 48 percent of Hawai‘i
households are ALICE and below.
Our ALICE population represents hardworking people we interact with every day, who have a job – or two or
three – yet cannot afford basic necessities to remain stable and self-sufficient. ALICE lives in every town and
city across Hawai‘i. ALICE exists in every ethnicity. They include child care providers, retail salespersons,
waitstaff, cashiers, administrative assistants, janitors, housekeepers, landscapers, teaching assistants,
mechanics, restaurant cooks and more. They are our friends, family, and people we rely on every day. It takes
just one crisis – loss of employment for a short period, an unexpected health emergency or car repair, an
increase in monthly rent – to put these families and individuals at even greater risk of long-term problems like
chronic health issues or loss of housing.
Hawai‘i was hit hard during the Recession and much of our economy has rebounded. Yet the rising economic
tide is not lifting all boats. Last year, Aloha United Way 2-1-1, which serves the entire state, handled over
37,000 inquiries for shelter, food, and utility assistance.
Every one of us was ALICE, is ALICE or knows ALICE. This report clearly shows us who ALICE is, where
ALICE lives, and why ALICE struggles. With the appropriate focus, policy changes, investments, and
collaboration, our community can help put our hardworking ALICE families and individuals on the path to
financial stability and self-sufficiency.
This is a call to action for each of us to share this information – to innovate and collaborate as legislators,
academics, and leaders from the community, business and philanthropic sectors. There are many across the
state who care deeply about supporting and serving our families, neighbors, and friends who are struggling.
Together, we can help create and provide opportunities for our ALICE families and individuals to achieve
sustainability.
Finally, a word of deep gratitude. This Report would not be possible without the generous support of Bank of
Hawai‘i Foundation, Hawai‘i Community Foundation, and Kamehameha Schools.
Me ke aloha pumehana,

Cindy Adams, President & CEO, Aloha United Way
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THE UNITED WAY ALICE PROJECT
The United Way ALICE Project provides a framework, language, and tools to measure and understand the
struggles of the growing number of households in our communities that do not earn enough to afford basic
necessities, a population called ALICE. This research initiative partners with state United Way organizations to
present data that can stimulate meaningful discussion, attract new partners, and ultimately inform strategies
that effect positive change.
Based on the overwhelming success of this research in identifying and articulating the needs of this vulnerable
population, the United Way ALICE Project has grown from a pilot in Morris County, New Jersey in 2009, to the
entire state of New Jersey in 2012, and now to the national level with 16 states participating.
Hawai‘i United Ways are proud to join the some 450 United Ways from these states to better understand the
struggles of ALICE. Organizations across the country are also using this data to better understand the struggles
and needs of their employees, customers, and communities. The result is that ALICE is rapidly becoming
part of the common vernacular, appearing in the media and in public forums discussing financial hardship in
communities across the country.
Together, United Ways, government agencies, nonprofits, and corporations have the opportunity to evaluate
current initiatives and discover innovative approaches that give ALICE a voice, and create changes that
improve life for ALICE and the wider community.
To access reports from all states, visit unitedwayalice.org
States With United Way ALICE Reports
North Dakota
Washington Montana Minnesota New Hampshire
Vermont
Maine
Wisconsin
South Dakota
Oregon Idaho
Wyoming Michigan New York Massachusetts
Iowa
Nebraska
Pennsylvania Rhode Island
Illinois Indiana Ohio Connecticut
Nevada Utah Colorado Kansas Missouri V Wirgeisnti a DNeleaww aJreersey
Kentucky Virginia Maryland
California
Oklahoma Arkansas Tennessee C Naroorltihn a DCioslturmicbt ioaf
Arizona New Mexico
Georgia
Texas South
Carolina
Alabama Florida
Louisiana Mississippi
Alaska
Hawai‘i
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THE ALICE RESEARCH TEAM
The United Way ALICE Project provides high-quality, research-based information to foster a better
understanding of who is struggling in our communities. To produce the United Way ALICE Report for Hawai‘i,
a team of researchers collaborated with a Research Advisory Committee, composed of 6 representatives from
across the state, who advised and contributed to the Report. This collaborative model, practiced in each state,
ensures each Report presents unbiased data that is replicable, easily updated on a regular basis, and sensitive
to local context. Working closely with United Ways, the United Way ALICE Project seeks to equip communities
with information to create innovative solutions.
Lead Researcher
Stephanie Hoopes, Ph.D. is the lead researcher and director of the United Way ALICE Project. Dr. Hoopes’
work focuses on the political economy of the United States and specifically on the circumstances of low-income
households. Her research has garnered both state and national media attention. She began the United Way
ALICE Project as a pilot study of the low-income community in affluent Morris County, New Jersey in 2009,
and has overseen its expansion into a broad-based initiative to more accurately measure financial hardship in
states across the country. In 2015, Dr. Hoopes joined the staff at United Way of Northern New Jersey in order
to expand this project as more and more states become involved.
Dr. Hoopes was an assistant professor at the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA), Rutgers
University-Newark, from 2011 to 2015, and director of Rutgers-Newark’s New Jersey DataBank, which makes
data available to citizens and policymakers on current issues in 20 policy areas, from 2011 to 2012. SPAA
continues to support the United Way ALICE Project with access to research resources.
Dr. Hoopes has a doctorate from the London School of Economics, a master’s degree from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College.
Research Support Team
Andrew Abrahamson Helen McGinnis Dan Treglia, Ph.D.
ALICE Research Advisory Committee for Hawai‘i
Kathy Fujihara-Chong, MBA Joyce Lee Ibarra, M.S. Gavin Thornton, JD
HMSA JLI Consulting Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for
Law and Economic Justice
Victor Geminiani, JD Ivette Rodriguez Stern, MSW
Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for University of Hawai‘i, Hua Zan, Ph.D.
Law and Economic Justice Center on the Family University of Hawai‘i,
Center on the Family
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................................6
I. WHO IS STRUGGLING IN HAWAI‘I? .............................................................................................................10
Measure 1 – The ALICE Threshold
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II. HOW COSTLY IS IT TO LIVE IN HAWAI‘I? ...................................................................................................29
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Measure 2 – The Household Budget: Survival vs. Stability I
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III. WHERE DOES ALICE WORK? HOW MUCH DOES ALICE EARN AND SAVE? ...................................................40
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IV. HOW MUCH INCOME AND ASSISTANCE IS NEEDED TO REACH THE ALICE THRESHOLD? .............................55
Measure 3 – The ALICE Income Assessment
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V. WHAT ARE THE ECONOMIC CONDITIONS FOR ALICE HOUSEHOLDS IN HAWAI‘I? .........................................63 H
VI. THE CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT HOUSEHOLD INCOME ....................................................................74
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CONCLUSION ..............................................................................................................................................108
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INDEX OF FIGURES
Figure 1. Household Income, Hawai‘i, 2015 .................................................................................................................................12
Figure 2. Households by Income, Hawai‘i, 2007 to 2015 ............................................................................................................13
Figure 3. Percent of Households Below the ALICE Threshold by County, Hawai‘i, 2015 ............................................................14
Figure 4. Percent of Households Below the ALICE Threshold by County Subdivision, Hawai‘i, 2015 ........................................15
Figure 5. Households Below the ALICE Threshold, Largest Cities and Towns in Hawai‘i, 2015 .................................................16
Figure 6. Percent of Households Below the ALICE Threshold by Census Tract, Oahu, Hawai‘i, 2015 .........................................17
Figure 7. Household Income by Age, Hawai‘i, 2015 .....................................................................................................................18
Figure 8. Households by Race/Ethnicity and Income, Hawai‘i, 2015 .........................................................................................19
Figure 9. Household Types by Income, Hawai‘i, 2015 .................................................................................................................21
Figure 10. Families With Children by Income, Hawai‘i, 2015 .....................................................................................................22
Figure 11. Education Attainment and Median Annual Earnings, Hawai‘i, 2015 ...........................................................................24
Figure 12. Median Annual Earnings by Education and Gender, Hawai‘i, 2015 ............................................................................25
Figure 13. Veterans by Age, Hawai‘i, 2015 ..................................................................................................................................28
Figure 14. Household Survival Budget, Hawai‘i Average, 2015 ...................................................................................................30
Figure 15. Average Household Stability Budget vs. Household Survival Budget, Hawai‘i, 2015 ................................................35
Figure 16. Household Budget Comparison, Family of Four, Honolulu County, Hawai‘i, 2015 .....................................................39
Figure 17. Employment and GDP by Industry, Hawai‘i, 2015 .......................................................................................................41
Figure 18. Number of Jobs by Hourly Wage, Hawai‘i, 2015 .........................................................................................................42
Figure 19. Number of Jobs by Hourly Wage, Hawai‘i, 2007 to 2015 ............................................................................................43
Figure 20. Occupations by Employment and Wage, Hawai‘i, 2015 .............................................................................................44
Figure 21. Full-Time and Part-Time Employment by Gender and Median Earnings, Hawai‘i, 2015 ............................................45
Figure 22. Earnings by Number of Households and Aggregate Total, Hawai‘i, 2015 .................................................................45
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Figure 23. Percent Change in Household Sources of Income, Hawai‘i, 2007 to 2015 ................................................................46
Figure 24. Households by Wealth, Hawai‘i, 2013 ........................................................................................................................47
Figure 25. Household Assets, Hawai‘i, 2015 ...............................................................................................................................50
Figure 26. Use of Alternative Financial Products, Hawai‘i, 2011 ...............................................................................................53
Figure 27. Categories of Income and Assistance for Households Below the ALICE Threshold, Hawai‘i, 2015 ..........................57
Figure 28. Comparing Basic Need With Public and Nonprofit Spending by Category (excluding health care and
miscellaneous expenses), Hawai‘i, 2015 ....................................................................................................................................59
Figure 29. Total Public and Nonprofit Assistance per Household Below the ALICE Threshold, Hawai‘i, 2015 ..........................62
Figure 30. Affordable Housing Gap by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 .......................................................................................65
Figure 31. Housing Burden by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 .....................................................................................................66
Figure 32. Real Estate Taxes by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to2015 ..................................................................................................66
Figure 33. Income Distribution by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 .............................................................................................67
Figure 34. Unemployment by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 ......................................................................................................68
Figure 35. New Hire Wages by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 ....................................................................................................69
Figure 36. Preschool Enrollment by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 ...........................................................................................70
Figure 37. Health Insurance by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2015 ...................................................................................................71
Figure 38. Voter Turnout by County, Hawai‘i, 2010 to 2014 .......................................................................................................72
Figure 39. Consequences of Households Living Below the ALICE Threshold in Hawai‘i ............................................................74
Figure 40. Renters Below the ALICE Threshold vs. Rental Stock, Hawai‘i, 2015 ........................................................................78
Figure 41. Population Growth, Hawai‘i, 2004 to 2030 .............................................................................................................109
Figure 42. Population Inflows and Outflows, Hawai‘i, 2015 .....................................................................................................114
Figure 43. Median Earnings and Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity, Hawai‘i, 2015 ..........................................................117
Figure 44. Projected Occupational Demand by Wage, Education, and Work Experience, Hawai‘i, 2014–2024 ........................121
Figure 45. Occupations by Number of Jobs and Technology, Hawai‘i, 2015 .............................................................................124
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Across Hawai‘i, 48 percent of households struggled to afford basic household necessities in 2015.
WHO IS ALICE?
With the cost of living higher than what most people earn, ALICE families – an acronym for Asset Limited,
Income Constrained, Employed – have income above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but not high enough to
afford a basic household budget that includes housing, child care, food, transportation, and health care. ALICE
households live in every county in Hawai‘i – urban, suburban, and rural – and they include women and men,
young and old, of all races and ethnicities.
WHO IS STRUGGLING?
While the FPL reports that 11 percent of Hawai‘i households faced financial hardship in 2015, an additional 37
percent (165,013 households) qualified as ALICE.
WHY ARE THERE SO MANY ALICE HOUSEHOLDS IN HAWAI‘I?
Low wage jobs dominate the local economy: Sixty-two percent of all jobs in Hawai‘i pay less than $20
per hour, with more than two-thirds of those paying less than $15 per hour ($15 per hour full time = $30,000
per year). These jobs – especially service jobs that pay wages below $20 per hour and require a high school
education or less – will grow far faster than higher-wage jobs over the next decade.
The basic cost of living outpaces wages: The cost of basic household expenses in Hawai‘i is more than
what most of the state’s jobs can support. The average annual Household Survival Budget for a Hawai‘i family
of four (two adults with one infant and one preschooler) is $72,336 – significantly more than double the U.S.
family poverty level of $27,890.
Economic conditions vary by county: Analysis of the economic conditions across Hawai‘i’s counties shows
that it is difficult for ALICE households in Hawai‘i to find affordable housing, job opportunities, and community
resources in the same place.
Public and private assistance helps, but doesn’t provide financial stability: The income of ALICE and
poverty-level households in Hawai‘i is supplemented with $1.4 billion in government and nonprofit assistance,
as well as $2.2 billion in health care resources. Because government expenditure is increasingly composed of
health care spending, which consists of services and cannot be transferred to meet other needs, there remain
AI‘I gaps for families in Hawai‘i to achieve the most basic financial need in many areas, including a 49 percent gap
W for housing and a 52 percent gap for child care.
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