STAND. COM. REP. NO. 122

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 915

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 915 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 appropriate $5,000,000 in general funds to assist and support the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's state low-income public housing program.

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

     Your Committee finds that section 356D-43, Hawaii Revised Statutes, mandates that the state low-income public housing program must be self-supporting.  However, the rental income at the state housing facilities is insufficient.  As a consequence, many of the expenses of day-to-day operations are currently subsidized using the small general fund appropriation the Hawaii Public Housing Authority receives for annual repair and maintenance and the Housing Authority's revolving funds.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 915 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 and Housing,

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair