Faith Action is driven by a deep spiritual commitment to improve the quality of life for its members and all people of Hawaii.

Faith Action for Community Equity (formerly known as FACE) is a grassroots interfaith 501(c)3 nonprofit community organization which addresses the root causes of social justice challenges through organized action, common values and collective power. The organization was formed 24 years ago by a group of interfaith clergy with the purpose to enact systemic change for the benefit of all Hawaii residents, especially those of low socioeconomic status.

Faith Action represents a broad constituency diverse in race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, purpose and socioeconomic levels. With a staff of only two, the organization is member-led with grassroots leadership and decision-making.

Local and statewide issues are identified by members, prioritized, and task forces are established to conduct research and create policies to address the issues. Leaders are developed and trained within the organization to participate in the democratic process with public officials and call them into accountability.

This year, Faith Action organized at the legislature in support of Living Wage, Affordable Housing and Kupuna Caregivers. Amidst the COVID pandemic, Faith Action leaders and members were able to transfer efforts to remote work - having task force meetings remotely and hosting virtual community events. So far this year, besides supporting key legislature, Faith Action organized volunteers to assembly face masks for healthcare workers, led a campaign to encourage Pacific Islander communities to participate in the 2020 Census, translated COVID resource materials into Tagalog and Chinese, and launched a new Environmental Justice task force.

The HousingNow! task force partnered with Sen. Stanley Chang to host a web series 'Our Homes: Ending the Housing Crisis' which explores projects and laws that address the affordable housing crises in various U.S. cities and states, and other nations. In July 2020, Faith Action held a 'Mayoral Accountability Assembly' to ask Honolulu mayoral candidates to commit to actionable solutions on key issues. Faith Action is committed to enacting large-scale change to make Hawaii a more equitable place for all. With your support, we can continue doing this important work and be a collective voice to advance social justice in our islands.

Key Accomplishments:

Organized the legislature to pass a bill that required the taxation of Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), which would prevent millions in state tax revenue loss to out-of-state investors. The bill passed both the House and Senate (2019).
Successful passage of a bill that appropriated $50 million for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund for the development of affordable housing (2019).
Fought to secure an additional $1.5 million for the Kupuna Caregivers Program in 2019, up from $1.2 million in 2018.
Hosted an ‘Affordable Housing Summit’ on Sept. 21, 2019 for over 250+ participants that addressed the barriers to affordable housing in Hawaii and brought stakeholders together to hold them accountable.
Mobilized the legislature to pass HB 2748, otherwise known as the "Bob Nakata Bill" named after the Reverend Bob Nakata who was the Co-Chair of the committee. This bill appropriated $200 million to develop affordable housing (2018).
Worked closely with Caring Across Generations to establish the Kupuna Caregivers Program legislation. This program, Act 102, provides an allowance of $210 per week (changed from $70/day) for caregivers to fund care-giving services for aging family members so they would not have to leave their jobs (2017).
Secured the passage of SR 18 which required the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services agency to extend basic immigration services to Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii Island, since these services were discontinued nearly one decade ago (2016).
Built a shipping container tiny home that traveled around the island of Oahu for 5 months, inspiring the passage of the Accessory Dwelling Unit law and the creation of Hale Mauliola homeless village at Sand Island (2015).
Convinced law makers to raise the state’s minimum wage from $7.25 to the present $10.10/hr (2014).

2021 Faith Action Unit Investment Drive

Help us raise funds to support grassroots community organizing for social justice in Hawaii!

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