STAND. COM. REP. NO.  276

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 1494

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1494 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide an incentive to bring chronically homeless individuals to shelter and off the streets by requiring the Department of Human Services (DHS), in conjunction with the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, to establish a homeless incentive program in which a chronically homeless individual will be paid $12 per 24-hour period for each overnight stay by the individual in a shelter, subject to certain conditions.

Ho‘omana Pono, LLC. and an individual testified in support of this measure.  DHS opposed this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness commented on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Redefining "chronically homeless individual" to be consistent with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's definition of "chronically homeless individual";

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to facilitate further discussion; and

(3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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 H.B. No. 1494, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1494, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

DEE MORIKAWA, Chair