STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2028

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2187

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Public Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2187 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR WEST HAWAII HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the construction of a facility that will provide housing and services for individuals and families impacted by homelessness in the County of Hawaii.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, the Mayor of the County of Hawaii, the County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community Development, the Island of Hawaii Advisory Board of Catholic Charities Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawaii-Hawaii Island Community Office, Hawaii Family Forum, St. Michael the Archangel Church, and one individual. 

     Your Committee finds that the lack of homeless services and access to affordable housing is a growing concern in West Hawaii, where housing prices have soared.  Your Committee further finds that the Kawaihae Transitional Housing Program, which is the only transitional housing program for homeless families available in West Hawaii, will be closing in 2009 because the Environmental Protection Agency has mandated closure of the site over sanitation concerns (the site was originally designed as a "temporary solution," but has been in operation for over fifteen years).  Your Committee also finds that closure of the Kawaihae facility will significantly impact the number of beds available to the homeless on the Island of Hawaii, and the Kaloko housing program could serve as a new, comprehensive solution to address homelessness and affordable housing in West Hawaii. 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating the comments made by the Mayor of Hawaii, who asked that, as the Kaloko housing program will service families largely with affordable housing units, reference to service for "individuals" and the provision of "emergency units" be eliminated from section 1 of the measure; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity 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. 2187, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2187, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair