STAND. COM. REP. NO. 589-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: H.B. No. 2751

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. 2751 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address Hawaii's homelessness issue by:

(1) Expanding the eligibility criteria and available credit amount for low-income household renters' income tax credit based on adjusted gross income and filing status;

(2) Appropriating funds to the department of human services for the continued administration of the family assessment center for homeless families; and

(3) Appropriating funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for the State Rent Supplement Program to provide assistance through a housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program and requiring recipients of subsidies from this program to obtain financial case management and counseling services.

The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaiian Community Assets, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, IMUAlliance, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Partners in Care, and PHOCUSED testified in support of this measure. The Department of Taxation, State Procurement Office, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii provided comments.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

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

Your Committees find that the low-income household renters' tax credit amount and its income eligibility criteria have not changed since 1981 and 1989, respectively. Your Committees further find that the appropriations will provide much-needed support to programs dedicated to housing families and supporting homeless children.

Your Committees note that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and the Department of Taxation testified at the public hearing on this measure providing technical, substantive amendments. Should your Committee on Finance consider this measure, your Committees request that it give consideration to these technical, substantive amendments.

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. 2751, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2751, 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