STAND. COM. REP. NO. 886

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 518

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 518, H.D. 2, 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 state rent supplement program for homeless working individuals or families who are ready to rent permanent housing in order to obtain and maintain permanent housing.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and one individual.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that many hardworking individuals and families remain in transitional housing programs because they cannot afford permanent, market-level housing.  Providing a rent supplement would allow these individuals and families to transition from these temporary shelters to permanent housing.  Moreover, your Committee finds that this approach would, in turn, provide housing opportunities to those individuals and families awaiting intake into transitional shelters.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language to include, as an authorized use of the funds appropriated by this measure, the hiring and training of one program specialist to monitor the state rent supplement program and contract for the statewide implementation of the program; and

 

     (2)  Changing the expending agency of the appropriation from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to the Department of Human Services.

 

     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. 518, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 518, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair