The safety net meant to catch people who’ve fallen on hard times expanded significantly during the coronavirus pandemic, because the crisis pushed so many people over the edge.
The primary assists offered to soften their fall are soon to expire. This means that Hawaii residents have to be prepared to contend with the fallout, such as an increase in homelessness. And, for those directly affected, they must start pursuing a path to greater financial self-sufficiency.
The ultimate goal should be to transition back to the full employment levels Hawaii had enjoyed long before COVID-19 shuttered the tourism industry and crippled businesses across the local economy.
The search will be a process — longer than some may expect — that could involve training for more marketable job skills and better jobs. But for many, the end of generous government benefits will compel a return to the same type of work they had before.
In either case, many of those between jobs will need help covering expenses in the interim. There are ongoing programs and a new intervention for eviction proceedings. There is also a new child tax benefit that, at least for now can provide some help along the way.
But the road through this changed landscape will be a bumpy one. Government agencies, and their nonprofit partners, must stay on top of the available remaining resources to direct people to the aid.
Here are some of the most challenging hurdles on the horizon:
>> The federal freeze on evictions, which the Biden administration extended for a month, will expire July 31. In Hawaii, the eviction moratorium was extended through Aug. 6. Gov. David Ige rightly allowed an extra week for tenants and landlords to secure federally funded assistance.
Many are forecasting a huge wave of evictions. According to one estimate given during a Thursday news conference, 10,000 tenants in the state are behind on their rent.
However, there was some welcome news. The enactment of House Bill 1376 amended the eviction process to incentivize mediation between tenants and landlords. This is something those involved should be exploring now.
>> The final payable week for unemployment benefits that were expanded and supplemented through federal COVID-19 relief funds will be Sept. 4, right around the corner.
This includes the weekly “plus-up” supplement of $300, the assistance for the self-employed financially hurt by the pandemic and the extended payments for those who have exhausted their benefits under the standard state unemployment insurance program.
>> There are distressing signs of an information gap about benefits. Social service agencies are scrambling to guide those still struggling — including many who are new to joblessness — through unfamiliar territory.
It’s already apparent that some will slip through the cracks, and where some of those cracks have opened up. The state Department of Human Services reported last week that thousands qualified for food-stamp benefits have failed to complete required paperwork and may not receive the aid.
Officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the benefit’s usual requirement for an eligibility review and another review every six months had been waived during the height of the pandemic to speed the aid being distributed.
That waiver was lifted this month, however, and DHS sent out 2,200 six-month review letters in June. Only 700 were returned. Similarly, 15,000 eligibility review letters were sent, and only 7,000 were returned.
Here again, government needs to work with social service agencies to do outreach and minimize the number of people who qualify but will lose assistance, at least temporarily.
On the more encouraging front: An estimated 150,000 families in Hawaii were among those nationwide that received the first of monthly Child Tax Credit checks last week. Whether the credit will extend beyond 2022 is an unknown, but it could help in the near term.
Also, there’s progress in the Oahu Housing Now, a program headed by Partners in Care (PIC), which works with service providers to counter homelessness. Executive Director Laura E. Thielen said 107 households comprising 282 individuals have been housed so far under the project, which directs federal housing dollars to landlords who step up to rent their units to the homeless. Let’s hope more of them do.
Thielen said PIC is working to keep service providers updated on available funds to help with the transition, which is also crucial.
The long-term solution, however, lies in directing those hurt by the pandemic toward employment opportunities. There are resources for retraining through community colleges, and numerous employers at job fairs are looking for qualified workers ready to put their best foot forward.
The unprecedented level of public assistance has been a true lifeline for many, the means of survival. But to truly thrive? That will take the determination of the job-seekers themselves.
