$4 Billion in Federal Aid Bound for Hawai‘i

Sen. Brian Schatz

Billions of dollars are on the way to Hawai‘i to help individuals, families, businesses and healthcare centers deal with various forms of fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

US Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that Hawai‘i is set to receive at least $4 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding.

Schatz told Gov. David Ige and mayors of all four major islands Friday that the state was in line for “a minimum” of $1.25 billion to aid in government response efforts to healthcare crises and a rapidly declining economy.

“Billions of dollars in federal money is on the way,” Schatz said. “This new funding will support state and local response efforts and help Hawai‘i families and businesses struggling to get by.”

Key funding for Hawai‘i includes:

• $1.25 billion to help fund state and county government response efforts
• $1.14 billion in estimated unemployment assistance
• $1.24 billion in estimated direct cash payments to Hawai‘i residents
• $130 million in estimated funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• $53 million to support local schools and colleges during the pandemic
• $11 million for Hawai‘i’s community health centers
• $8 million in Community Development Block Grants

Millions more in federal money for Hawai‘i will go to additional health care, education, public transportation and housing programs.