STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1074-16

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2016

RE:   S.B. No. 2570

      S.D. 2

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2570, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RAPID RE-HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

     (1)  Require the Department of Human Services to establish a Rapid Re-housing Assistance Program (Program) to help homeless families or individuals move into permanent housing as quickly as possible and achieve stability in that housing; and

     (2)  Appropriate funds for the establishment and operation of the Program and to hire full-time equivalent program specialists for the Program.

Catholic Charities Hawaii supported this measure.  The Department of Human Services, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, and an individual provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by removing the requirement for the Department of Human Services to adopt rules that are not inconsistent with applicable federal laws and regulations to implement the Program.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate on this measure further, your Committee on Housing respectfully requests that it consider appropriating $2,000,000 for the establishment and operation of the Program.

     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. 2570, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2570, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair