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THE SENATE |
S.R. NO. |
9 |
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TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2009 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE RESOLUTION
requesting public and private agencies to make appropriate exemptions for grandparents caring for grandchildren to remain in senior housing until suitable housing is obtained.
WHEREAS, in Hawaii, multi-generational living is common for cultural, social, and financial reasons; and
WHEREAS, sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances or family crisis beyond their control, grandparents become caregivers, and in some cases legal guardian, of their grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, according to the American Association of Retired Persons, in 2007, more than fourteen thousand grandparents in Hawaii reported that they are responsible for grandchildren who live with them; and
WHEREAS, because many grandparents are seniors who have limited or fixed incomes, trying to raise a grandchild increases an already challenging financial situation for these grandparents; and
WHEREAS, the cost of raising a child in the western region of the United States, based on 2007 estimates by the United States Department of Agriculture, ranges between $8,870 and $18,510 annually; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii's housing market is one of the costliest in the nation, providing few options for seniors who often have limited incomes; and
WHEREAS, many seniors look to senior housing programs because the unique restrictions on these programs make such housing more affordable; and
WHEREAS, federal and state law both allow housing authorities to legally exclude families with children from senior housing programs; and
WHEREAS, consequently, grandparents, as sole or primary caregivers of a grandchild, must compete with other younger parents for affordable family housing because children are not allowed to reside in senior housing; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2009, that all public and private senior housing agencies are requested to identify all residents who are sole or primary caretakers for a grandchild; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each agency is requested to make appropriate exemptions in policies, procedures, and house rules to allow seniors who provide sole or primary care for one or more grandchildren to remain in their rental unit until more suitable housing is obtained; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, the Executive Director of the Office on Aging, the Hawaii Field Office Director of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Executive Director of the American Association of Retired Persons.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Grandparents Caring for Grandchildren; Senior Housing