STAND. COM. REP. NO. 23

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 94

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 94 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII INTERAGENCY COUNCIL ON HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to add the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, Catholic Charities Hawaii, The Institute for Human Services, Community Alliance for Mental Health, and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

     Your Committee finds that homelessness is growing in Hawaii.  This complex issue requires greater collaboration and coordination on strategic initiatives if we are to end homelessness in Hawaii.  The Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness has been established to gather diverse government entities, as well as representatives from the homeless coalitions and business, faith-based, and other organizations.  The mission of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is to provide safe, decent, sanitary, and affordable housing to extremely low income Hawaii residents, some of whom are homeless or on the brink of homelessness.  As such, adding the Executive Director of the Authority to the membership of the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness would improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Council.

     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. 94 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair