STAND. COM. REP. NO. 573

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 643

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 643 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow a person who was previously evicted from public housing to appeal the eviction under certain conditions; provided that it has been at least ten years since the eviction.

     The Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Waianae Community Outreach submitted testimony in support of this measure.

     Your Committee finds that state public housing rules prohibit anyone evicted from public housing after 1985 from re-applying for placement in public housing.  This measure establishes an appeals process under certain conditions for previously evicted applicants who are interested in reapplying for public housing.

     It is your Committee's intent to balance the need to maintain an orderly housing project with the recognition that people have the ability to reform past behavior.  Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Clarifying that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority shall allow any person to appeal a denial of eligibility for public housing based on an eviction that occurred ten years or more prior to the application for public housing;

     (2)  Clarifying that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority may reverse the eligibility denial, not the earlier eviction, and review, not necessarily accept, an application for public housing from the person; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 643, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 643, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services and Public Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair