Make investments In Human Infrastructure, Not Simply Roads And Bridges

All families and keiki deserve the opportunity to flourish. But that possibility is out of reach for far too many in our church.

When Hawaii’s US officials return to Washington DC in the coming days, they will have an opportunity to support historic investments in our people and the infrastructure that supports us. As advocates for Hawaii’s low-income and working-class families, we urge them to seize this momentous opportunity to invest in paid vacation, childcare, housing and other social infrastructure that we desperately need.

As our nation works to recover from the global pandemic, we must now face the problems that have disproportionately affected workers and families in this unprecedented time. We can take this opportunity to “build better” by investing in support that is essential for economic recovery.

Without these investments, our recovery will fall short, leaving many women, low-wage families and institutionally marginalized communities behind. Together we are stronger, and if we continue to leave more and more people behind, our state, our country and our economy will collapse.

Hawaii Congressman Ed Case. The US House of Representatives is expected to hold critical votes this week. Screenshot

Fortunately, if members of Congress make solid investments in basic needs in the reconciliation package, we have the opportunity to rebuild our economies and increase justice.

Rep. Ed Case and Rep. Kai Kahele will return to Washington next week to vote on the 2022 budget decision. The budget resolution will pave the way for Congress to critically support stressed families without access to paid family and sick leave, affordable childcare or housing.

We have the opportunity to rebuild our economy and increase equity.

The high cost of these basic expenses – such as housing, childcare, health care, and education – strangle working families. Many of these families fall into the “ALICE” category, as defined by Aloha United Way, or “Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed”.

Paid vacation and affordable childcare are not available to most workers and families. Only 21% of employees are entitled to paid family leave through their employer. In Hawaii, only 44% of workers are eligible for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The cost of childcare is more than the tuition at the University of Hawaii. The current funding of childcare by the federal government only reaches one in seven eligible children.

The proposal in the federal budget resolution would provide early care and learning opportunities to more than 29,000 Hawaiian children over a period of 10 years – 16 times more children than are currently being cared for.

Hawaii Congressman Kai Kahele. Nick Grube / Civil Beat / 2020

To change the status quo, Congress must make significant and deliberate investments that focus on the workers and families who drive our economy. If we don’t get it right this time, it will be almost impossible to fully recover and hit the right reset button that our country desperately needs.

Case and Kahele representatives have the opportunity to build a more resilient and fairer economy by ensuring solid investments in accessible paid vacation, childcare and housing.

In order for our nation and economy to thrive, we must create systems and policies that emphasize justice and the needs of working people, and provide opportunities for all families to thrive.

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