STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1681

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 150

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 150, 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 fund various homeless shelters and transitional housing programs and services.

     The measure also:

     (1)  Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to create an affordable housing inventory registry and to report annually to the Legislature on expenditures from the Rental Housing Trust Fund;

     (2)  Increases the percentage of conveyance tax dedicated to the Rental Housing Trust Fund;

     (3)  Exempts special purpose revenue bonds that are issued to assist in the development of low‑ and moderate‑income housing projects from the procurement code; and

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

     Your Committee received comments in support of this measure from the Mayor of Hawaii County, the County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development, Partners in Care, the Hawaii Association of Realtors, the Hawaii Family Forum and the Roman Catholic Church, Catholic Charities of Hawaii, and a concerned citizen.  The Department of Taxation and Housing Hawaii submitted comments with amendments.  The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, the Tax Foundation of Hawaii and the Land Use Research Foundation submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that the homeless population in the State numbers approximately six thousand twenty-nine, of whom over four thousand are homeless persons living in unsheltered conditions.  Coupled with the homelessness problem is the problem of providing affordable rentals and housing for Hawaii's residents.  Many people would not be in homeless shelters if there was an adequate supply of affordable rentals.

     This measure addresses the issue of homelessness in Hawaii as well as the lack of affordable housing for Hawaii's residents.

     Your Committee has amended the bill by making technical amendments at page 9, lines 16-20 to reflect no funds from the conveyance tax will be going into the general fund.

     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. 150, 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. 150, H.D. 2, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair