STAND. COM. REP. NO. 219

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 897

       S.D. 1

Honorable Shan S. Tsutsui

President of the Senate

Twenty-Sixth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2011

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 897 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to address the needs of the growing homeless population in Hawaii and to increase the inventory of affordable rental housing.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Hawaii Catholic Conference, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Chancery Office of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, St. Stephen Diocesan Center, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

     Your Committee finds that a 2010 Homeless Service Utilization Report prepared by the Center on the Family at the University of Hawai‘i and the Homeless Programs Office of the Department of Human Services revealed that statewide, there are 13,886 people who experience homelessness.  Your Committee also finds that this represents an increase of three percent from just a year ago.  The report also revealed that six hundred forty-six persons deemed themselves to be at risk of homelessness or precariously housed because they are three monthly paychecks away from homelessness.

     Your Committee further finds that Hawaii's limited rental housing stock and the growing population have resulted in high rental housing costs.  Without affordable rentals, homeless persons who are ready to transition from shelters to permanent housing have nowhere to go, which in turn leaves shelters unable to take in the growing numbers of new residents who become homeless.  This results in a growing population of unsheltered homeless and a higher demand for homeless programs and services.

     Your Committee also finds that the ability of the State's Homeless Programs Office to meet the needs of the growing homeless population has been limited by a consistent lack of resources over the years.  The recent economic downturn has made a dire situation critical, due to budget cuts and the reductions-in-force of needed positions.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Including the Homeless Programs Office of the Department of Human Services and the Hawaii Association of Realtors as two additional entities who shall:

          (A)  Work together to conduct the survey to identify and inventory vacant state-owned, state-managed, and other government and privately-owned or managed vacant housing units statewide that could be used as affordable rental housing; and

          (B)  Report to the Governor and the Legislature on the results of the survey conducted under this measure;

     (2)  Requiring an annual report, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each Regular Session, to the Governor, the Legislature, and, if established by the Legislature during the 2011 Regular Session, an interagency council on homelessness tasked with formulating and coordinating a unified plan to address homelessness in Hawaii; and

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

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 897, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 897, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, and Housing.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair