STAND. COM. REP. NO. 861

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 7

       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 Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 7 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND THE GOVERNOR TO CREATE A HOME FOR LIFE TASK FORCE TO REDUCE BARRIERS TO AGING IN PLACE AND TO FACILITATE MULTIGENERATIONAL LIVING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor to form the Home for Life Task Force to coordinate research and actions to reduce barriers to aging in place and to facilitate multigenerational living.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Disability and Communication Access Board, the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, two organizations, and two individuals.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee finds that the population of older adults in Hawaii is expected to increase, and that consequently the demand for services and housing for older adults will increase.  In accordance with the United States Administration on Aging's goal of enabling older adults to age in place, your Committee further finds that multigenerational housing may allow the provision of support services to older adults by family caregivers while also providing housing for families who may find it difficult to secure affordable housing.

     Your Committee recognizes the need for creative and flexible housing options to satisfy the anticipated increase in demand for suitable housing options for older adults.  Your Committee therefore requests that the Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor assemble and convene a Home for Life task force to examine:

     (1)  Building and zoning codes that present barriers to the conversion of single-family dwellings to multigenerational homes;

     (2)  Modifications to existing homes that may allow older adults to age in place;

     (3)  Training of personnel to recommend structural modifications to existing structures to allow older adults to age in place;

     (4)  The use of universal design principles in renovation and new construction projects; and

     (5)  Incorporation of universal design principles into existing building and zoning codes.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Amending all references to "multigenerational" housing or living to "multigenerational or accessible" housing or living, respectively, as some individuals with disabilities are only seeking accessibility features in homes;

     (2)  Adding the Disability and Communication Access Board as a recipient of a copy of the measure; and

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 7, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 7, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair