STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2008

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2266

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. 2266 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriate funds for the rental housing trust fund and the dwelling unit revolving fund in order to support affordable rental housing development and infrastructure development.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Community Alliance for Mental Health, Partners in Care, PHOCUSED, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaii Association of REALTORS, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Blueprint for Change, Land Use Research Foundation of Hawaii, Living Life Source Foundation, and two individuals.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

     According to the 2011 Hawaii Housing Planning Survey, there is a need for more than 13,000 rental units by 2016 for households at or below eighty percent of the area median income.  Testimony on this measure indicates that almost seventy-five percent of extremely low income households pay more than half of their income for rent.  Your Committee finds that there is a serious need to develop affordable rental housing in Hawaii to meet the needs of individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.  Your Committee also finds that investing in housing development has a substantial economic impact, and that the allocation of $100,000,000 to the rental housing trust fund would lead to the creation of approximately 1,000 jobs in Hawaii.  In addition, funding the dwelling unit revolving fund allows for infrastructure improvements that are needed to develop new affordable housing statewide.

     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. 2266 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