Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2006

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2598 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to provide for the housing needs of seniors by establishing the Elderly Housing Renovation Revolving Loan Fund (Fund) to provide low-interest loans to eligible persons 55 years-of-age or older to renovate their homes.

The County of Maui Department of Housing and Human Concerns, Maui County Office on Aging, and Self-Help Housing Corporation of Hawaii testified in support of this bill. The Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH) offered comments.

Your Committee recognizes that many seniors are living on fixed incomes and live in older dwellings that may require renovations to meet basic safety requirements, and believes this measure merits further discussion.

Your Committee respectfully requests the Committee on Finance to review some of the provisions in this bill, including maximum loan amounts and income requirements, and to consider a recommendation by HCDCH to allow administrative expenses to be paid from the entire Fund.

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 H.B. No. 2598 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.