STAND. COM. REP. NO. 974

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 39

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 39 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR TO INCLUDE THE KUKUI GARDENS AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT IN THE STATE'S LIST OF SHOVEL-READY PROJECTS FOR THE PRESIDENT'S PROPOSED ECONOMIC STIMULUS PLAN,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to urge the Governor to include Kukui Gardens in the State's list of shovel-ready projects submitted for inclusion in the President's proposed economic stimulus plan.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by nine individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the Kukui Gardens Resident's Association has waged an intense three-year campaign to preserve the eight hundred fifty-seven affordable rental housing units in Kukui Gardens as affordable rental units, which would save an estimated 2,500 people from potential homelessness.  Your Committee understands that while an agreement to do so was reached in December 2007, the economic problems of late 2008 threaten that agreement.  Funds have been included in the federal economic stimulus legislation to help save projects like Kukui Gardens, but projects must be included on the State's priority list in order to qualify for receiving the funds.

     Your Committee is in strong support of this measure and has amended this measure by making a technical, nonsubstantive amendment.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 39, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 39, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education and Housing,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair