STAND. COM. REP. NO.  383-18

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2018

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1637

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Housing and Health & Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 1637 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to address the issues of affordable housing and homelessness by:

 

     (1)  Authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds to generate revenues to increase the inventory of affordable rental housing especially for low-income individuals and homeless families or families at risk of becoming homeless; and

 

     (2)  Appropriating funds to the Department of Human Services to support homelessness mitigation and prevention efforts in the State through various programs.

 

     The Housing Now Coalition of Faith Action for Community Equity, Catholic Charities Hawaii, IMUAlliance, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and Partners in Care testified in support of this measure.  The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and Hawaii Public Housing Authority testified in support of the intent of this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness provided comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committees find that Hawaii's high cost of living, particularly the high cost of rental housing, has had a negative impact on families in Hawaii with many of these families just a single crisis away from becoming homeless.  Your Committees further find that there is a serious need to develop affordable rental housing and support other means to assist struggling families to remain in housing and to move those who are homeless into housing.  This measure is a first step in this challenging effort.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Inserting language authorizing the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to develop interim rules without regard to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for assisting participants in the housing subsidies for homeless families through the rent supplement program;

 

     (2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Health & Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1637, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1637, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Health & Human Services,

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair

 

____________________________

TOM BROWER, Chair