CCR172

CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 172

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2013

RE: S.B. No. 515

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

C.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam and Sir:

Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the Senate to the amendments proposed by the House of Representatives in S.B. No. 515, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Appropriate funds to:

(A) The Department of Human Services to assist families experiencing and at risk of experiencing homelessness with housing placement and employment services;

(B) The Department of Health to provide clean and sober housing support services;

(C) The Department of Human Services to support the State's Housing First Program for chronically homeless individuals in the State; and

(D) The Department of Human Services to provide matching funds for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's Shelter Plus Care Program;

(2) Establish and appropriate funds for the Return-to-Home Program, a voluntary assistance program to provide eligible homeless individuals with assistance in being reunited with family and relatives in the individual's home state outside of Hawaii;

(3) Authorize and appropriate funds for the designation of temporary nighttime parking lots as safe overnight locations for homeless persons to live and sleep in their motor vehicles that would otherwise be parked on private or public roads or property; and

(4) Appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services to establish safe haven campsites, with and without durational restrictions, for persons who are homeless.

Your Committee on Conference finds that homelessness is a complex issue that requires continuous resources and coordinated efforts at all levels. Homeless persons face a myriad of issues, including mental illness, substance abuse, loss of employment and income, and lack of affordable housing. New and innovative solutions are needed to help homeless persons in Hawaii, and appropriate funding for programs and services tailored to address these issues is essential.

Your Committee on Conference further finds that more information and data are needed to find solutions that will best serve the various homeless communities in the State. A working group comprised of representatives from diverse backgrounds and experiences can provide the insight that is needed to help address homelessness in Hawaii.

Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for the Homeless Programs Office of the Department of Human Services to assist families experiencing and at risk of experiencing homelessness with housing placement and employment services;

(2) Inserting an appropriation amount of $300,000 for substance abuse treatment and mental health support services for individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

(3) Inserting an appropriation amount of $200,000 for clean and sober housing support services to be administered by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division of the Department of Health for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

(4) Inserting language for an appropriation of $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2013-2014 for a rental assistance program for homeless working individuals and their families who are ready to rent permanent housing to obtain and maintain permanent housing; provided that certain criteria are met related to maximum subsidy and a household's adjusted gross income;

(5) Inserting an appropriation amount of $750,000 for the Department of Human Services to continue to administer housing first programs for chronically homeless individuals in the State for fiscal year 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

(6) Inserting findings related to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development's homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program;

(7) Inserting language for an appropriation of $150,000 for the homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program for fiscal year 2013-2014;

(8) Inserting an appropriation amount of $400,000 for matching funds for the shelter plus care program of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development for fiscal years 2013-2014 and deleting the appropriation for fiscal year 2014-2015;

(9) Specifying that the return-to-home program shall be a three-year pilot program, rather than a permanent program, that provides eligible homeless individuals with assistance in being reunited with family and relatives in the individual's home state;

(10) Deleting language that would have established and appropriated funds for the return-to-home special fund;

(11) Inserting language for an appropriation of $100,000 for implementation of the return-to-home pilot program, including all program costs and hiring of necessary staff, for fiscal year 2013-2014;

(12) Deleting language that would have authorized the Department of Human Services, in consultation with the counties, the Hawaii Community Development Authority, and public or private homeless assistance programs, to develop temporary nighttime parking lots to provide safe overnight locations for homeless individuals to sleep in their vehicles;

(13) Deleting language that would have appropriated funds for the designation of temporary nighttime parking lots to provide safe overnight locations for homeless individuals who live and sleep in their motor vehicles;

(14) Deleting language that would have appropriated funds to establish two types of safe haven programs, one with durational restrictions and one without, for persons who are homeless, using designated surplus or available open or vacant locations owned by the State;

(15) Inserting language to establish a homeless assistance working group to work within each local neighborhood in each county to identify, plan, and implement housing options for homeless persons in each local community by December 31, 2013, that reflect shared responsibility for addressing homelessness in Hawaii;

(16) Inserting language for an appropriation of $100,000 for fiscal year 2013-2014 for the construction and demonstration of innovative temporary housing solutions as they relate to the working group's findings and recommendations;

(17) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2013;

(18) Adding an effective date of no later than December 31, 2013, for the return-to-home pilot program; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 515, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 515, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Co-Chair		____________________________ SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair
____________________________ RIDA T.R. CABANILLA, Co-Chair		____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Co-Chair
____________________________ SYLVIA LUKE, Co-Chair		____________________________ MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Co-Chair