[Hawaii] Poverty rate below average, but high cost of living hurts

From KPUA

HONOLULU (AP) _ Hawaii's poverty rate was lower than the national average in 2003.

But activists say the high cost of living in the islands means the problem is worse here than the statistics indicate.

Gladys Baisa is the executive director of Maui Economic Opportunity _ a nonprofit group that helps the poor.

She says many young families can't find a place to live because they can't afford the rent.

She says sometimes two or three families live together because they don't have other options.

Baisa says many adults in Hawaii have two jobs but are poor because the pay is low.

The Census Bureau says Hawaii had about 130-thousand people living in poverty in 2003 _ or just under 11 percent of the population.

Nationally, the poverty rate was 12-point-five percent.

The Census bureau defines poverty as two person-family earning less than 12-thousand dollars in per year or a four person family earning less than about 18-thousand 800 dollars.