SCR120 SD2.DOC

WHEREAS, recent outbreaks of violence between residents of Kuhio Park Terrace and Kalihi Valley Homes, two of the State's largest public housing projects, are believed to be the result of longstanding conflict between gangs or residents of the housing projects; and

WHEREAS, the escalating violence has prompted discussions at the community and policy levels on how to improve the safety and quality of life within the housing projects; and

WHEREAS, although a 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. curfew that was imposed on the residents of Kalihi Valley Homes following a recent shooting received a favorable reaction from many residents, the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and others have emphasized that the curfew is a temporary solution and that more permanent solutions should be explored by the community; and

WHEREAS, the problems that occur on public housing projects are often induced or exacerbated by the consumption of alcohol on the project grounds, a lack of accountability and oversight for guests of public housing residents, insufficient personnel to work with police officers to handle disturbances when they occur on the projects, and a lack of authority to quickly evict public housing residents who repeatedly violate laws; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority has already begun exploring some of these solutions, including a Tenant Monitor Program to designate resident managers as points of contact who are immediately available for emergency situations when property management is unavailable and who may authorize police or other emergency responders to enter the property, direct police or other emergency responders to appropriate units or sections of the housing projects, and confirm whether individuals do or do not reside on the property; and

WHEREAS, under the proposed Tenant Monitor Program, designated resident managers will not be employees of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority but will receive community police training from the Honolulu Police Department and other safety awareness training from the Department of the Attorney General; and

WHEREAS, as part of the proposed Tenant Monitor Program, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority plans to provide free rent to individuals who are designated as resident managers; and

WHEREAS, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is awaiting approval from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development on the Authority's Tenant Monitor Program plan to provide free rent to the designated resident managers and expects approval of the plan by July 1, 2010; and

WHEREAS, to help address the issues listed above, the Legislature finds that stricter laws and administrative rules should be imposed, including banning the possession of an open liquor container on any sidewalk or common area of a public housing project, imposing harsher penalties for individuals who enter or remain unlawfully on the premises of public housing projects, and authorizing the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to quickly evict residents who repeatedly violate laws; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-fifth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2010, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to:

(1) Adopt administrative rules or recommend legislation to ban the possession of any open liquor container on any sidewalk or common area of a public housing project under its jurisdiction; and

(2) Adopt administrative rules to impose greater oversight over individuals who enter or remain unlawfully on the premises of public housing projects; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature supports the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's plan to implement the Tenant Monitor Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority will provide an option of either free rent or partial rental assistance, in lieu of compensation, to a designated resident manager under the proposed Tenant Monitor Program so that:

(1) The value of the rental assistance is commensurate with the resident manager's duties, which may differ from the duties of another resident manager in the Tenant Monitor Program depending on factors such as the size of the housing project for which a resident manager is responsible; and

(2) The Hawaii Public Housing Authority may designate more than one resident manager per housing project to ensure adequate or improved coverage throughout the day; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is requested to report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2011. The Authority is requested to address the following in the report:

(1) Whether or not the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has approved the proposed Tenant Monitor Program;

(2) If the Tenant Monitor Program is not approved, the reasons for the disapproval; and

(3) If the Tenant Monitor Program is approved, an update on the status of implementation of the Program; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Report Title:

Hawaii Public Housing Authority; Tenant Monitor Program

THE SENATE	S.C.R. NO.	120
TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE, 2010		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII