STAND. COM. REP. NO.  331

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2017

RE:   H.B. No. 772

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Human Services and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 772 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allocate additional funding to the Department of Human Services (DHS), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Transportation (DOT) to support homelessness outreach, mitigation, and prevention efforts in the State.

Catholic Charities Hawaii; Hawaii Youth Services Network; YWCA Oahu; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Ho‘omana Pono, LLC.; IMUAlliance; and three individuals testified in support of this measure.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, DHS, DOH, and DOT commented on this measure.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1)  Specifying that the appropriations to the:

(A)  Housing First Program to provide housing and supportive services include funding for substance use disorder treatment; and

(B)  Department of Transportation are also for assisting the Airports Division and Harbors Division to deal with homelessness-related issues pertaining to security, health, and safety; and

(2)  Changing its effective date to July 1, 2075, to encourage further discussion on this measure.

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 772, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 772, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ TOM BROWER, Chair

____________________________ DEE MORIKAWA, Chair