STAND. COM. REP. 1213
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2003
RE: H.C.R. No. 131
H.D. 1
Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twenty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2003
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 131 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING A MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL AUDIT OF THE HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION OF HAWAII’S FEDERAL SECTION 8 VOUCHER PROGRAM,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to prevent discrimination against individuals seeking to rent property using Section 8 rental subsidies by:
(1) Requesting the Auditor to perform a management and financial audit of the federal Section 8 voucher program administered by the Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH); and
(2) Requesting HCDCH to convene a Task Force to determine the appropriate changes to be made to the Section 8 program to improve the delivery of governmental resources to recipients and improve flexibility of the program.
The Hawaii Association of Realtors, Institute of Real Estate Management, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure. HCDCH provided comments.
Your Committee finds that individuals are discriminated against when using Section 8 rental subsidies. Property management agencies claim that while they are not averse to accepting individuals receiving Section 8 assistance as tenants, Section 8 rules can be cumbersome and inflexible, causing losses in time and money for all parties.
Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:
(1) Including state and county vouchers in the audit;
(2) Requesting that the audit include the number of Section 8 vouchers that are returned;
(3) Including the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development on the Task Force;
(4) Sending certified copies of the concurrent resolution to the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance and Hawaii Association of Realtors; and
(5) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 131, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 131, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Housing,
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____________________________ MICHAEL PUAMAMO KAHIKINA, Chair |