STAND. COM. REP. NO. 668

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 912

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 912, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds for the housing placement program within the Homeless Programs Office of the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Betty Lou Larson, Legislative Liaison, Catholic Charities Hawaii; Myoung Oh, Government Affairs Director, Hawaii Association of REALTORS; and Max Gray, Partners In Care.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from Patricia McManaman, Interim Director, Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that this measure will help increase the availability of rental housing for persons who face obstacles in moving from homelessness to permanent housing and for persons with lower incomes who need affordable rental housing.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the appropriation for the housing placement program to an unspecified sum;

 

     (2)  Making unspecified appropriations to the Hawaii Community Development Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to improve the existing public and affordable housing stock and increase public and affordable housing units in the State;

 

     (3)  Making unspecified appropriations to each of the counties to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the counties;

 

     (4)  Requiring the Department of Human Services to immediately implement the Housing First program and report to the Legislature; and

 

     (5)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 912, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 912, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair