STAND. COM. REP. NO.  937-10

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2010

RE:   H.C.R. No. 262

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 262 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WAIANAE COAST HOMELESSNESS TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE, SHORT-, AND LONG-TERM NEEDS OF THE HOMELESS AND THOSE AT-RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to help provide more effective services to homeless populations on Leeward Oahu by requesting the establishment of the Waianae Coast Homelessness Task Force (Task Force) to develop a comprehensive plan to address the needs of the homeless and those at-risk of becoming homeless.

     The Leeward Housing Coalition, Waianae Community Outreach, and several concerned individuals supported this concurrent resolution.  The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) and University of Hawaii System provided comments.

     Your Committee notes that although there are a number of emergency and transitional shelters already in place on the leeward coast, as well as several affordable housing developments being built to assist the homeless population, there is more that may be done to assist those who are at-risk of becoming homeless.  Additionally, while many on the coast, including shelter providers, service providers, and community members have come together in two summits to begin discussing available options for assisting this vulnerable population, the formalization and participation of a larger group, including governmental agencies, would strengthen the plan and has the potential to add more buy-in from concerned stakeholders.

     Your Committee has amended this concurrent resolution by:

     (1)  Removing HHFDC from the Task Force and instead requesting that HHFDC serve as a resource for the Task Force; and

     (2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 262, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 262, H.D. 1.

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

____________________________

RIDA CABANILLA, Chair