STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1517

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 137

       S.D. 1

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 137, S.D. 1, entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE COORDINATOR ON HOMELESSNESS TO ASSEMBLE A WORKING GROUP TO IDENTIFY INNOVATIVE HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR HOMELESS NATIVE HAWAIIAN FAMILIES; INVESTIGATE SUITABLE AND AVAILABLE FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, AND PRIVATE LAND FOR INNOVATIVE HOUSING PROJECTS; AND PREPARE A PLAN TO DEVELOP A DEMONSTRATION HOUSING PROJECT FOR HOMELESS NATIVE HAWAIIAN FAMILIES THAT CAN SERVE AS A MODEL STATEWIDE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to develop housing solutions for homeless Native Hawaiian families.

     More specifically, this measure requests the:

(1)  Coordinator on Homelessness to assemble a working group to develop housing solutions, investigate suitable and available federal, state, county, and private lands for innovative housing projects, and prepare a plan to develop a demonstration housing project for homeless Native Hawaiian families; and

(2)  Working group to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014.

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

     Your Committee finds that a disproportionate percentage of homeless in the State are Native Hawaiian individuals and families.  Innovative housing solutions are necessary to provide these families with stable housing and access to support services to resolve underlying socioeconomic issues.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 137, S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DAVID Y. IGE, Chair