STAND. COM. REP. NO.  29-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1539

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1539 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY'S ADMINISTRATION OF THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide more opportunities for people on the waiting list to receive housing choice voucher program vouchers by requiring the surrender of vouchers when the last original member of a household vacates the housing unit or the last minor household member reaches the age of twenty-one.

A representative of the Homeless and Affordable Housing Institute and several concerned individuals supported the bill.  One concerned individual opposed the bill.  The Hawaii Public Housing Authority, the Community Alliance for Mental Health, and one concerned individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Replacing language that refers to "parents" in a household with the terms "head or co-head of the household";

(2)  Including a provision regarding the eligibility status of legal guardians of minor household members, to reflect the concerns of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; and

(3)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2525, to encourage further discussion.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1539, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1539, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair