93
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.              
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE RESOLUTION

REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL AUDIT OF THE HOUSING AND
   COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF HAWAII.



 1       WHEREAS, in its "Five Year Strategic Plan 1999-2003", the
 2   Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii
 3   (Corporation) states that one of its goals is to increase and
 4   preserve rental housing opportunities for low-income households
 5   and special needs groups in independent and supportive living
 6   environments; and
 7   
 8       WHEREAS, the Corporation is currently undergoing a
 9   reorganization process after the recent dismissal of its
10   executive director; and
11   
12       WHEREAS, elected officials have visited some of the public
13   housing projects and have publicly questioned how certain
14   conditions in public housing can continue to exist; and 
15   
16       WHEREAS, residents have complained that their concerns with
17   the policies and practices of the Corporation have been largely
18   ignored; and
19   
20       WHEREAS, some of these concerns relate to:
21   
22       (1)  The deferred maintenance of state-financed public
23            homes, particularly the maintenance of Uluwehi Homes;
24   
25       (2)  The termite infestation of Kau'iokalani Homes which is
26            only five years old and is currently having to close
27            units due to termite infestations;
28   
29       (3)  Resident's sentiment that large amounts of federal
30            funds are not being used efficiently and, as a result,
31            residents are not deriving maximum benefit from funds
32            that are allocated to low-income housing programs; and
33   
34       (4)  The disproportionate amount of funds from the United
35            States Housing and Urban Development program,
36            distributed for drug elimination, are being used to
37            police residents of these projects, instead of
38            implementing programs that prevent drug abuse;

 
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                                  H.R. NO.              
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   and
 2   
 3       WHEREAS, the Legislature recognizes that it is in the best
 4   interests of the State to ensure that any state and federal
 5   funds expended to provide housing for low-income families or to
 6   provide programs for residents to become self sufficient, be
 7   used prudently to best serve those in need of theses services;
 8   and
 9   
10       WHEREAS, an audit would make the new executive director of
11   the Corporation aware of these areas of concern so that the
12   director can improve the services of the Corporation and ensure
13   the prudent use of its resources; now, therefore,
14   
15       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
16   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
17   of 2000, that the Legislative Auditor is requested to perform a
18   management and financial audit of the Corporation for the
19   period extending from July 1, 1998, to June 30, 2000; and
20   
21       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that as part of the audit, the
22   residents of state-financed public housing be interviewed as to
23   their concerns or questioned about how things are run and what
24   can be changed to improve the situation; and
25   
26       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Auditor address
27   these and other related issues and report the findings and
28   recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days
29   before the convening of the Regular Session of 2001; and
30   
31       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
32   Resolution be transmitted to the Legislative Auditor and the
33   Acting Executive Director of the Corporation.
34 
35 
36 
37                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________