As previously reported, Hawaii County stands to get around $80 million from the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This is directly related to its population.
Hawaii State House Speaker Scott Saiki noted on Monday, at a meeting of the State House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, the City and county of Honolulu is getting a direct infusion of $387 million from the Federal CARES Act. The funds are specifically to be used for issues related to COVID-19 and must be spent by the end of 2020. Saiki said the Federal CARES Act provides that local governments with populations of 500,000 or more are eligible for direct aid. The remainder of the federal money for government goes to the state, which is supposed to share 45% of that amount with the local governments smaller than 500,000 people.
Saiki said legislators have agreed that the allocation for neighboring counties will include $80 million to the Big Island, $66 million to Maui County, and $28 million to Kaua’i County. There are other monies that will go to the Department of Defense (Hawaii Emergency Management Agency), Department of Transportation and more.
But back to Hawaii Island: on Tuesday, Governor Ige’s Chief of Staff, Linda Chu Takayama, specifically said the allocation to the neighbor islands is based completely on the numbers provided by the U.S. Census–right now, 201,513. This reinforces why it is so critical for everybody on Hawaii Island to participate in the 2020, once-every-decade, census. The U.S. Constitution requires it. And even prior to COVID-19, and coming in the future, much of the County’s funding for hospitals, health care centers, child care, senior services, transportation, infrastructure, and more is a direct result of the population count.
If you have not filled out the census form online...2020census.gov…you may do so at any time. Households with physical addresses should have received information in the mail, but even if you don’t have a physical address or you misplaced the letter…you don’t need that to get started. Anybody who does not fill out the census will get an in-person visit within the next several months from a U.S. Census worker who will get the information.
In early April, Sherry Bracken of New West Broadcasting recorded an interview with Sharlette Poe, a Wai’anae resident who is a U.S. Census Partnership Specialist, about the processes, procedures, and importance of the census to Hawaii. Click here for that interview.