SB2884

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2884
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to temporary housing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii lacks affordable housing, and that homelessness among Hawaii residents has become a crisis. Pushing homeless residents continuously from one location to another shows a lack of compassion and is inefficient and a waste of tax dollars. Transitional housing centers or safe zones are one way to help provide relief until permanent housing becomes available. Therefore, the legislature finds that the State must aggressively provide temporary housing for Hawaii's homeless.

The purpose of this Act is to convert the department of human services' temporary emergency shelter authority to a state temporary emergency transitional housing shelter program to enable the State to build or erect housing shelters or units as quickly as possible to end the visual blight of homelessness and allow houseless residents to begin transitioning to a more stable lifestyle.

SECTION 2. Section 346-361, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding two new definitions to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

""Designated agency" means the state agency designated by the governor to oversee the temporary emergency transitional housing shelter program.

"Temporary emergency transitional housing shelter" means one or more tents, domes, yurts, modified buses, or other temporary housing units; provided that each housing unit shall cost less than $15,000 to build."

SECTION 3. Section 346-375, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§346-375[]] Temporary emergency transitional housing shelter[.] program. (a) [~~In addition to any other duties prescribed by law, the department~~] The designated agency shall develop, in consultation with the four counties, a procedure for identifying locations that shall be used for temporary emergency transitional housing shelters for homeless individuals and families[~~. The department shall actively partner with and monitor the efforts of the counties.~~], and construct temporary emergency transitional housing shelters. The designated agency may partner with non-government entities to provide temporary emergency transitional housing shelters.

(b) [~~Each county~~] The designated agency shall be responsible for partnering with government agencies, churches, businesses, unions, and nonprofit organizations to locate, designate, and maintain the areas that shall be used for temporary emergency transitional housing shelters[.], and to provide assistance, services, programs, and employment for those in temporary emergency transitional housing shelters. The designated locations may include private, county, state, and federal lands[.]; provided that the designated agency shall obtain approval from the owner of private, county, or federal lands before building temporary emergency transitional housing shelters on the selected lands.

(c) The temporary emergency transitional housing shelters shall be exempt from all state and county construction permits or similar requirements; provided that chapter 515 shall apply in administering this section.

(d) The designated agency shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to expedite construction of temporary emergency transitional housing shelters and govern the use of temporary emergency transitional housing shelters; provided that the designated agency shall model its rules on the rules of the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation pursuant to chapter 201H to expedite the development of shelters.

(e) Participants in the program must agree to comply with any rules adopted by the designated agency pursuant to subsection (d) as a condition for residence in temporary emergency transitional housing shelters. Participants shall be permitted to remain in temporary emergency transitional housing shelters for no longer than twelve months. The designated agency may also evict participants for failure to comply with any rule adopted by the designated agency pursuant to subsection (d). The designated agency shall actively work with participants to transition to permanent housing.

(f) Each temporary emergency transitional housing shelter shall have no more than seventy-five housing units per site. The State shall be responsible for restroom, shower, and security services, subject to funding."

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval and be repealed on June 30, 2023; provided that section 346-375, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall be reenacted in the form in which it read on the day prior to the effective date of this Act.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________