Join our Advocacy Team!

HHHRC advocates for policy change that will improve the lives of the people and communities we serve. We strongly believe that public health issues must not be mistaken for public safety issues and that individuals should have access to the care that they want.

Communities facing stigma and discrimination should be supported with equity, opportunity and respect. Please join us here in this separate HHHRC email list for advocacy updates, action alerts and to keep track of what we are doing to advocate for change in Hawai‘i. If you do not want to receive these advocacy emails, please unsubscribe.

More about us:

At HHHRC our advocacy leads are Executive Director, Heather Lusk, Deputy Director – Community, Trisha Kajimura and Grants and Advancement Manager, Nikos Leverenz. Together, they represented HHHRC in the 2022 State Legislative Session. With the help of the staff Policy Committee and HHHRC Board of Directors, HHHRC prioritized the following areas in the 2022 Session:

1. Health equity through access to care

2. Support people experiencing homelessness

3. Economic justice/poverty alleviation

4. Criminal justice reform

The Session turned out to be a historic one thanks to the large budget surplus and the amount of funding that has been allocated for Native Hawaiian Home Lands and other housing programs. The following are highlights of the session results:

1. Kua‘ana Project (transgender services) Grant In Aid request fully funded

2. Gender Affirming Care Act (HB 2405) passed, prohibiting insurance providers from discriminating against transgender patients through limitations of treatments and surgeries.

3. LGBTQ State Commission established.

4. Adult dental coverage by MedQuest funded for the first time in 12 years

5. Minimum wage increase passed

6. Earned income tax credit made permanent and refundable.

These and other initiatives will contribute to the vision we share with other public health and social justice entities for a Hawai‘i that better supports social determinants of health. We have a lot more work to do and plans to get you more involved. We hope you stick with us.