STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2071

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2265

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2265 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to improve the existing public housing stock and increase the supply of public housing units in the State.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and Blueprint for Change.

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority continues to be underfunded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, and has extensive and growing capital needs.  According to the Authority, approximately $462,000,000 is needed for capital improvements to its aging housing stock.  In addition, as indicated in the 2011 Hawaii Housing Planning Study, the State needs approximately 50,000 new units by 2016 to meet the growing demand for housing, of which 19,000 units are for sale and rental units needed for household income levels of eighty percent or below the area median income for the State.  This measure addresses the Authority's capital needs by allocating $50,000,000 to improve existing public housing stock and increase the supply of public housing units.

     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. 2265 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair