STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2054

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2428

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. 2428 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to acquire land to provide alternative shelter for the homeless.

     Testimony in support of this measure was received from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority

     Your Committee finds that although some progress has been made in accommodating the needs of homeless persons on the Leeward Coast of Oahu, the needs of other homeless persons throughout the State have not been met.  On any given day there are approximately 11,514 homeless persons in Hawaii, with only 8,395 of them in homeless shelters.  The vast majority of those unsheltered homeless persons are located on Oahu.  This measure will help to alleviate this dire situation.

     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. 2428 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair