STAND. COM. REP. NO.  121-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   H.B. No. 1842

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Health, to which was referred H.B. No. 1842 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to better assist individuals facing or experiencing homelessness by:

     (1)  Funding various homeless and housing programs;

     (2)  Mandating the establishment of the Voluntary Homeless Assistance Pilot Program; and

     (3)  Transferring responsibility for the Homeless Assistance Working Group from the Department of Human Services to the Legislature.

The Hawaii Primary Care Association, PHOCUSED, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Helping Hands Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Partners in Care, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and a concerned individual supported this measure.  The Department of Health and Department of Human Services offered comments on this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to promote further discussion.  Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     Your Committees respectfully request that the Committee on Finance consider the following appropriation amounts in its deliberations:

(1)  $300,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 for substance abuse treatment and mental health support services for individuals who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (Section 2);

(2)  $200,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 for clean and sober housing support services (Section 3);

(3)  $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 for the rental assistance program for homeless working individuals and their families (Section 4);

(4)  $750,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 from the Housing First Special Fund to further support the continued administration of the Housing First Program in assisting chronically homeless individuals (Section 6 and 7);

(5)  $150,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 to support the Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-housing Program (Section 9);

(6)  $500,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 to provide matching funds for the Shelter Plus Care Program (Section 11); and

(7)  $100,000 for fiscal year 2014-2015 for the construction and demonstration of innovative temporary housing solutions (Section 16).

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1842, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1842, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Health,

____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Chair

____________________________ MELE CARROLL, Chair