Report Title:

Island Tenants on the Rise (ITOR)

RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Island Tenants on the Rise (ITOR) was first formed as a jurisdiction-wide resident council by duly-elected presidents of public housing resident councils on July 19, 1997; and

WHEREAS, the United States Housing and Urban Development rules allow resident councils to form an organization representing the interests of residents living in units under a housing authority's jurisdiction by:

WHEREAS, ITOR was a jurisdiction-wide resident council before the Quality Housing and Work Responsibility Act of 1998 (QHWRA) came into being; and

WHEREAS, ITOR has a track record of being the voice of residents in public housing statewide; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Community Foundation, People's Fund, and the Justice and Witness Fund of the United Church of Christ have supported ITOR; and

WHEREAS, ITOR is dedicated to encouraging residents to participate in the democratic process by registering to vote, voting on election day, participating in the legislative hearing process, and initiating new legislation and resolutions; and

WHEREAS, on July 29, 2000, twenty-two housing representatives called together by the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH), voted that ITOR be the voice of residents statewide as a Resident Advisory Board; and

WHEREAS, ITOR is the only independent voice of residents statewide; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2001, the Senate concurring, that this body hereby recognizes the work of Island Tenants on the Rise and commends them for their continuing efforts to encourage low-income people to be more active participants in the democratic process; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that HCDCH is encouraged to continue working with ITOR in effecting policy changes that will lead to self-sufficiency and self-determination by residents in public housing; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that HCDCH report to the Legislature no later than twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2002 on the cooperative accomplishments of HCDCH and ITOR in working together to build new and more active resident associations in every public housing project and in effecting policy changes that will lead to the self-sufficiency and self-determination of public housing residents; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii and the President of Island Tenants on the Rise.