SB1917

PART I. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that the homeless and affordable housing crises continue to be one of the State's most significant and challenging social problems. The most recent estimate of the total number of homeless persons in the State is six thousand twenty nine on any given day. In addition, the Hawaii Homeless Point-in-Time Study of 2003 found that over four thousand of these homeless persons are unsheltered. This is indicative of the limited shelter space available in the State.

Also troubling is the fact that a staggering thirty-seven per cent of the unsheltered homeless are individuals of Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian ancestry. Equally troubling is the fact that on any given day, there are eight hundred thirty-eight homeless children in the State.

None of these numbers reflect the number of people who are considered hidden homeless or those who are at-risk of homelessness.

The legislature recognizes that meaningful solutions to Hawaii's housing and homeless problem must be found.

The purpose of this Act is to:

(1) Provide funding for various homeless shelters and transitional housing programs and services;

(2) Require the Hawaii finance and development corporation to create an affordable housing inventory registry to identify state and county lands that may be used for affordable housing;

(3) Extend the sunset date for the allocation of fifty per cent of conveyance tax revenues to the rental housing trust fund to June 30, 2009; and

(4) Provide funding for various affordable and public housing programs.

PART II. THE HOMELESS

SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for the fiscal year 2007-2008, for homeless facilities, emergency shelters, and transitional shelters, as defined by section 356D-121, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to provider agencies, as defined by section 356D-121, Hawaii Revised Statutes, who offer outreach and/or support services to unsheltered homeless, at risk homeless, and those residing in homeless facilities, including emergency shelters and transitional shelters.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this section.

PART III. AFFORDABLE AND PUBLIC HOUSING

SECTION 4. Section 201H-6, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§201H-6[]] Housing advocacy and information system. (a) The corporation, with the assistance of other agencies of the State and counties with related responsibilities, shall develop and maintain a housing advocacy and information system to aid the corporation in meeting the needs and demands of housing consumers.

(b) In establishing and maintaining the housing advocacy and information system, the corporation shall conduct market studies, engage in community outreach, and solicit recommendations from and statistics and research developed by agencies of the United States, the State, the counties, private research organizations, nonprofit community groups, trade associations, including those of the construction and real estate industries, departments, individuals at the University of Hawaii, and housing consumers.

(c) The corporation shall analyze the information received and make recommendations to the appropriate agencies and developers.

(d) The corporation, through the housing advocacy and information system, shall act as a clearinghouse for information relating to housing conditions, needs, supply, demand, characteristics, developments, trends in federal housing programs, and housing laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations.

(e) The housing advocacy and information system may be used by housing researchers, planners, administrators, and developers and shall be coordinated with other housing research efforts. The corporation shall maintain a current supply of information, including means to gather new information through surveys, contracted research, and investigations.

(f) The corporation, through the housing advocacy and information system, and with the assistance of other agencies of the State and counties with related responsibilities, shall develop and maintain an affordable housing inventory registry to identify state and county lands that may be developed for affordable housing, as defined in section 201H-57(b)."

SECTION 5. Act 100, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, is amended by amending section 30 to read as follows:

"SECTION 30. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2006; provided that on June 30, [~~2007,~~] 2009, section 21 shall be repealed and section 247-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day before the approval of this Act."

SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to the rental housing trust fund for the planning, development, and construction of affordable housing in cooperation with private and nonprofit developers.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 7. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2007-2008, to the dwelling unit revolving fund for the planning, development, and construction of four thousand affordable housing units in cooperation with private developers.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 8. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, for the repair and maintenance of existing federal and state public housing buildings.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority.

SECTION 9. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2007-2008, for the repair and maintenance of elevators in existing federal and state public housing buildings.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 10. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, for the construction of public housing communities and the assistance of nonprofit organizations in development and management of the communities.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this section.

SECTION 11. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ , or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007-2008, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2008-2009, to the Hale Kokua program established by section 356D-143, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this section.

PART IV.

SECTION 12. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 13. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2007; provided that section 5 of this Act shall take effect on June 29, 2007.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	1917
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007
STATE OF HAWAII