Flush with federal pandemic relief money and then faced with a deadline to spend it, Honolulu city officials shifted money away from projects meant to set Oʻahu up for a strong and equitable recovery.
Instead of funding sustained economic relief for residents, a large chunk of the funding went toward “limited improvements to the city’s finances, asset purchases, and temporary assistance,” according to a new report released by the Honolulu auditor on Monday.
As a result, the residents who were most vulnerable and affected by Covid-19 lost out on benefits that could’ve helped them, the audit found…