STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1385-18

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2018

RE: S.B. No. 2989

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2989, S.D. 2, 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 the low-income household renters' income tax credit, based on adjusted gross income and filing status;

(2) Appropriating funds for the continued administration of the Family Assessment Center for homeless families to provide comprehensive services and housing placement; and

(3) Establishing and appropriating funds for the State Rent Supplement Program to provide assistance through the establishment of a housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program.

The Hawai‘i Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development, Americans for Democratic Action, YWCA O‘ahu, Parents and Children Together, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, IMUAlliance, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, PHOCUSED, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and several individuals supported this measure. The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, State Procurement Office, Department of Taxation, Hawaiian Community Assets, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii offered comments on this measure.

Your Committees note the Department of Taxation's recommended methodology to determine the tax credit inflation adjustment, which the Department explained is consistent with the Internal Revenue Code for inflation adjustments and makes the inflation adjusted amounts easier for taxpayers to claim and easier for the Department to administer. Your Committees respectfully request that if this measure advances through the Legislature that the proposed methodology be considered.

Your Committees also note the testimony submitted by Hawaiian Community Assets highlighting that Hawaii has the highest per capita rate of homelessness of any state in the nation and that 57.6% of renters in Hawaii pay more than 30% of their monthly income toward housing.

Your Committees have amended this measure by 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 S.B. No. 2989, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2989, S.D. 2, 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