STAND. COM. REP. NO. 474-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 1766

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. 1766 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to continue or establish funding for programs that prevent or address homelessness statewide. Specifically, this measure:

(1) Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for public housing improvements and renovations, and to administer the Rent Supplement Pilot Program;

(2) Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services to administer the Housing First, Rapid Rehousing, and Family Assessment Center programs, and conduct outreach to individuals experiencing homelessness; and

(3) Appropriates funds to the Department of Health to conduct outreach and counseling for unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness and substance abuse and to administer the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion Pilot Program.

ALEA Bridge; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Community Alliance on Prisons; The CHOW Project; IMUAlliance; League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Mental Health America of Hawai‘i; Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Partners in Care; PHOCUSED; The Salvation Army Addiction Treatment Services; YWCA O‘ahu; and a few individuals supported this measure. The Department of Health; Hawaii Public Housing Authority; Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; Aloha United Way; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Hawaii Youth Services Network; and an individual offered comments for this measure.

Your Committees find that since homelessness throughout Hawaii cannot be traced to a sole cause, it is unlikely that a single program will provide a solution to the problem of homelessness.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to adopt interim rules to administer the State Rent Supplement Pilot Program;

(2) Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to promote 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. 1766, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1766, 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