STAND. COM. REP. NO.  297

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2009

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1694

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1694 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to:

 

     (1)  Establish a minimum rent of $250 for state public housing units and $50 for federal public housing units; and

 

     (2)  Prohibit the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) from establishing preferences for tenant selection.

 

     Several concerned individuals testified in support of this bill.  The HPHA supported the intent of this measure.  Community Alliance Partners, the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii opposed this bill.  The Hawaii Catholic Conference, the Hawaii Family Forum, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and several concerned individuals provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

 

     (1)  Requiring HPHA to establish a schedule of rents for public housing projects by number of bedrooms and type of project;

     (2)  Deleting the minimum rent for federal public housing units;

 

     (3)  Requiring HPHA to adjust minimum rents annually by the consumer price index; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for consistency, style, and clarity.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1694, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1694, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

RIDA CABANILLA, Chair