STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2853

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2401

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to support various programs across the State to reduce homelessness.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Establishes and appropriates funds for a three-year housing homeless children pilot program to assist families with minors, or those families with minors at imminent risk of homelessness due to domestic violence, to obtain and maintain permanent housing; and

(2) Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Department of Human Services, and Department of Health to support public housing; housing first; rapid rehousing; outreach services programs to homeless persons, including outreach services to runaway and homeless youth and civil legal services; Oahu's Family Assessment Center; and the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; Department of Human Services; Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; YWCA Oahu; Domestic Violence Action Center; Drug Policy Forum of Hawaii; The Salvation Army Addiction Treatment Services; Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition; Hawaii Youth Services Network; Catholic Charities Hawaii; Mental Health America of Hawaii; Hawaii Pacific Health; Partners in Care; IMUAlliance; Family Promise of Hawaii; PHOCUSED; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Aloha United Way; Project Vision Hawaii; OCC Legislative Priorities Committee, Democratic Party of Hawaii; Young Progressives Demanding Action - Hawaii; RYSE; Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force; and seven individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Health.

Your Committee finds that the State needs to turn the tide on homelessness by investing in proven programs like housing first and rapid rehousing, and by making more efficient use of available resources by implementing a data-driven, collaborative process that matches persons experiencing homelessness with the services they need.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing all amounts appropriated by this measure to unspecified sums;

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

(3) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2401, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair