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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
167 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THE VETERANS PREFERENCE FOR TENANT SELECTION IN STATE LOW-INCOME HOUSING PROJECTS.
WHEREAS, government establishes various preferences for certain groups of its citizens in determining who should receive a government service or be benefitted by a government program; and
WHEREAS, these preferences often recognize that certain groups of persons have a greater need for the service or program, and can also be used to encourage individuals to participate in certain activities, and reward and recognize these individuals for their actions; and
WHEREAS, government should encourage individuals to serve their country by enlisting in the military, reward the service and sacrifices of veterans and their families, and recognize the difficulties of veterans in successfully returning to civilian life; and
WHEREAS, providing eligible veterans a housing preference recognizes the service and sacrifices of veterans, and decreases the difficulty of purchasing and providing a home for their families in Hawaii; and
WHEREAS, extending or limiting veterans' preference to widows and widowers of deceased veterans or veterans who are totally or partially disabled strengthens the basis for the preference and focuses it on those who have an even greater need for affordable housing and other government programs and services; and
WHEREAS, under section 356D-42, Hawaii Revised Statutes, in the selection of tenants for state low-income housing projects, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority must give first preference to:
(1) Veterans with a permanent disability of ten percent or more as certified by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;
(2) The dependent parents of the veteran; and
(3) The deceased veteran's widow;
and
WHEREAS, information regarding this state law does not appear to be widely available; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that the Office of Veterans' Affairs and the Hawaii Public Housing Authority are requested to make available to the public by wide distribution, including distribution of written material at locations frequented by veterans and posting on applicable websites offering information about low-income housing or veterans' benefits, information regarding the availability of veterans' preference in state low-income housing projects under state law; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the Director of the Office of Veterans' Services.
Veterans' Preference; Affordable Housing