STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3538

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2176

H.D. 2

S.D. 2

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2176, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to implement the recommendations of the Housing and Homeless Task Force.

After due consideration of the legislation proposed by the Housing and Homeless Task Force and careful evaluation of other housing legislation previously considered by your Committee, your Committee has decided to delete the contents of the measure and replace it with S.B. No. 2958, S.D. 2, and H.B. No. 2066, S.D. 1. These measures represent an omnibus housing package that addresses issues related to homelessness and low-income and affordable housing.

Generally, the omnibus package:

(1) Sets aside public housing for grandparents raising grandchildren;

(2) Appropriates funds for the repair and maintenance of public housing, improvements to infrastructure for new and existing transitional housing, homeless and transitional housing programs, repair of vacant housing units, and other housing support services;

(3) Authorizes bond issuances for affordable housing;

(4) Allows state-owned parcels to be leased for the development of self-help housing;

(5) Amends the state low-income housing tax credit to permit its use for construction and rehabilitation of existing affordable housing units; and

(6) Assists low and moderate income home buyers by providing a state income tax mortgage credit certificate program.

Your Committee is confident that this omnibus housing package will address many of the concerns raised by advocates for housing in the State.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2176, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2176, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair