STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2014

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2024

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2024 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish within the Hawaii Public Housing Authority a housing support program that provides housing support payments to participating landlords on behalf of the persons or families who meet certain eligibility requirements;

 

     (2)  Establish eligibility requirements for housing support payments under the housing support program;

 

     (3)  Require the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to negotiate monthly housing support payment rents that meet certain requirements with participating landlords;

 

     (4)  Establish the housing support program special fund for the purpose of making housing support payments on behalf of eligible persons or families in the housing support program; and

 

     (5)  Appropriate funds into the housing support program special fund and out of the housing support program special fund to make housing support payments on behalf of eligible persons or families in the housing support program.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii and Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and Department of Budget and Finance.

 

     Your Committee finds that homelessness remains one of the most pressing challenges facing Hawaii.  As a result, the State has adopted a comprehensive framework to address homelessness that focuses on three primary leverage points, which are affordable housing, health and human services, and public safety.  With respect to affordable housing initiatives, the State has increased resources for permanent housing programs, such as Housing First and Rapid Rehousing.  This measure will assist the State in its efforts to enable residents who are at risk of being homeless to remain in their homes.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adopting the language suggested by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority that:

 

          (A)  Requires the Authority to develop interim rules without regard to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement the housing support program; and

 

          (B)  Authorizes the Authority to procure case management and counseling services without regard to chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to implement the housing support program; 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 Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2024, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2024, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair