Hawaiʻi’s safety net is strongest when the community organizations that hold it together are supported and valued.

Every day, community-based nonprofits feed families, care for kūpuna, support survivors, shelter youth, and assist people with complex needs.

But this safety net is fraying and without action, it will break.

At the J. Walter Cameron Center, we house and work alongside 26 nonprofit partners and collaborate with more than 120 additional organizations serving thousands of Maui residents. Costs continue to rise while funding has not kept pace. We also manage Nā Hale Kūpuna, providing housing to seniors displaced by the 2023 wildfires, further illustrating the growing need for stable support.

According to the Hawaiʻi True Cost Coalition, nearly 70 percent of providers report that state contracts rarely or never cover the true cost of services. Many face annual shortfalls over $100,000.

When contracts fall short, service hours shrink, turnover rises, waiting lists grow, and essential programs risk closure. The people most impacted are families in crisis, individuals with disabilities, the houseless, survivors of violence, and those reentering the community after incarceration.

The True Cost of Service bills offer a responsible and overdue solution. They do not request new programs, only accurate funding for essential services the state already relies on. Properly aligned contract rates will stabilize the workforce, preserve core services, reduce long-term public costs, and strengthen the partnership between government and nonprofits.

Most importantly, they will keep Hawaiʻi’s safety net intact for future generations.

For these reasons, we strongly urge passage of the True Cost of Service legislation HB2115 and SB2442.

Cesar Gaxiola,
executive director, J. Walter Cameron Center
Wailuku