Report Title:

State Rent Supplement Program

Description:

Broadens participation in the state rent supplement program by removing the statutory limitation on the subsidy amount and increasing the income limits for participation from fifty per cent of area median income to ninety‑five per cent of area median income.  (SD1)

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1450
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007		S.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO THE STATE RENT SUPPLEMENT PROGRAM.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  Section 356D-151, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§356D-151[]]  Rent supplements.  The authority is authorized to make and contract to make annual payments to a ["housing owner"] housing owner on behalf of a ["qualified tenant",] qualified tenant as those terms are defined in this part, in amounts and under circumstances as are prescribed [in or pursuant to this part.  No payment on behalf of a qualified tenant shall exceed a segregated amount of $160 a month.] by the authority pursuant to rules adopted by the authority."

SECTION 2.  Section 356D-153, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§356D-153[]]  Qualified tenant; defined. (a)  As used in this part, [the term] "qualified tenant" means any single person or family, pursuant to criteria and procedures established by the authority, who has been determined to have an income not exceeding the [very low-income] income limit as determined by the authority pursuant to rules adopted by the authority; provided that the qualified tenant's primary place of residence shall be in the State or the qualified tenant intends to make the State the qualified tenant's primary place of residence. 

(b)  The terms "qualified tenant" and "tenant" shall include [a]:

(1) A member of a cooperative who satisfies the [foregoing] requirements of subsection (a) and who, upon resale of the member's membership to the cooperative, will not be reimbursed for more than fifty per cent of any equity increment accumulated through payments under this part[.]; and

(2) A person living in a transitional shelter who satisfies the requirements of subsection (a).

(c)  With respect to members of a cooperative, as used in this section, the terms "rental" and "rental charges" mean the charges under the occupancy agreements between the members and the cooperative."

     SECTION 3.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2008.