STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2246

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 2565

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2565 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to repeal the state housing sales program of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

     Your Committee finds that state public housing units should not be sold, but should remain under Hawaii Public Housing Authority ownership for rental to low-income tenants, which is a major immediate public need in Hawaii today.  For at least the previous ten years, the Authority has not utilized the state housing sales program, which allows the Authority to sell units in its projects under certain conditions, and has no current plans to use the program in the future.  The repeal of the housing sales program may eliminate any diversion of the Authority's attention or resources from its core mission, which is providing affordable rental housing to low-income tenants.

     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 S.B. No. 2565 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________

BREENE HARIMOTO, Chair