STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2953

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 2797

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 2797, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE KALOKO HOUSING PROGRAM,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the design, planning, and construction of the Kaloko Housing Program in West Hawaii to provide housing and related support services for homeless families.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by Mayor of the County of Hawaii, the Hawai‘i County Council, the County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development, a Hawai‘i County councilmember, County of Hawai‘i Office of the Corporation Counsel, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Community Alliance Partners, Hawaii Family Forum, Partners in Care, Neighborhood Place of Puna, Robert Surber & Associates, Saint Michaels Church, St. Michael's Church Social Ministry Committee, and four private citizens.  Comments on the measure were submitted by one private citizen. 

     Your Committees find that there is an urgent need for homeless and transitional housing on the island of Hawai‘i due to the pending closure of its only existing homeless shelter.  According to a 2007 study, the County of Hawai‘i, with sixty-five per cent of the State's homeless population, is much more impacted by homelessness than any other county in the State, and drastically under-served.  Your Committees further find that the Kaloko facility will provide housing, employment and educational opportunities for working homeless families to provide them with the tools necessary to become permanently self-sufficient.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2008; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2797, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2797, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Housing and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

____________________________ LORRAINE R. INOUYE, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair