STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1102

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1195

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1195, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Department of Human Services, including the Office of Youth Services, to provide homeless outreach services.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Office of the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Hawaii Children's Action Network, The Institute for Human Services, ALEA Bridge, Ku Aloha Ola Mau, Catholic Charities Hawaii, PHOCUSED, Partners in Care, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Community Alliance on Prisons, YWCA Oahu, Harm Reduction Hawaii, Hale Makua, Hawaii Chapter of the Young Progressives Demanding Action, The Salvation Army, The Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii, The CHOW Project, IMUAlliance, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Action with Aloha, and nineteen individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and Office of Youth Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that Hawaii has the highest rate per capita of homelessness of any state in the nation.  Addressing homelessness requires a multi-faceted approach using interventions targeted to the particular characteristics of the population being served.  A more strategic, coordinated outreach effort is needed to assertively serve the growing percentage of homeless persons who are not living in shelter programs.  Additionally, outreach is especially critical to help newly homeless youth navigate the social services system to find safe alternatives to homelessness, as youth service providers report that the number of homeless youth has been increasing each year.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language that appropriates funds for ongoing rental subsidies to reduce and prevent homelessness; and

 

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1195, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1195, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair