Gov. David Ige announced the State of Hawaiʻi allocated all of the $1.6 billion received from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) last May. The ARPA funds were to be used for emergency response stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release Governor Ige said, “COVID resulted in a global economic shutdown, which had devastating consequences on our state. We were force to cut many programs and services, state workers were at risk of being furloughed, our hospital system was overwhelmed, our tourism industry was shut down, and our economy was on the brink of collapse. At the same time, there was greater demand for essential government services and social safety nets. ARPA funds helped us pivot.”
Gov. Ige’s approach was to funnel the funds to support critical services, respond to COVID-19 public health emergency and to promote economic recovery and ensure equitable outcomes for those hit hard by pandemic. A categoric breakdown of the funds can be found below:
Unemployment/Jobs:
- $70M – UI call and adjudication center
- $800M – UI loan repayment
- Proposing continued support in FY23 with ARPA funds
Hospitals/Public Health Response:
- $32M – HI Health Systems Corporation
- $84M – EMS and injury prevention
- $16M – HI Health Systems Oʻahu Region
- $2.9M – Wahiawa Hospital Services
- $11M – Maui Health System hospital subsidy
- $10M – COVID-19 test kits
- $8M – Department of Health, COVID administrative support
- $50M – Department of Public Safety, strengthen COVID response
Visitor Industry:
- $60M – HTA
- $11M – Convention Center
- $41M – Safe Travels Hawaiʻi
Essential Services:
- $10.8M – Homeless services
- $1.5M – Senior centers
- $1.3M – Family health services
Education:
- $28M – University of Hawaiʻi System
- $1.3M – Financial need scholarships (HI Promise Program)
Infrastructure/Looking Forward:
- $1.5M – Broadband infrastructure planning
- $2.7M – Modernize financial system
A complete list of awards and programs supported with these federal funds can be found at COVID-19 Awards and Awards Received by State Departments.