STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2430

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2568

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2012

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2568 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOMELESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require counties to provide homeless individuals and families information on and access to temporary emergency shelters upon removing them from public property.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from five individuals.

     Your Committees find that according to the annual Homeless Service Utilization Report, 5,678 individuals in Hawaii are homeless and another 4,013 individuals are unsheltered.  Transitional housing is one way to effectively stabilize individuals and families and enable them to save money so they can secure permanent housing.

This measure will ensure homeless individuals and families who are removed from public property receive necessary information on and access to temporary emergency shelters to facilitate a transition to permanent housing.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2568 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Government Operations, and Military Affairs,

____________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair