STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2670

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2989

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. 2989, 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 address Hawaii's homelessness issue.

More specifically, this measure:

(1) Expands 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) Appropriates funds to the Department of Human Services for the continued administration of the family assessment center for homeless families; and

(3) Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for the state rent supplement program to provide assistance through the establishment of a housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Hawaiian Community Assets, OCC Legislative Priorities Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and ten individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Taxation, State Procurement Office, and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that homelessness and lack of affordable housing are two of the most pressing problems facing Hawaii. These problems most acutely affect families with minor children. Accordingly, your Committee believes that the establishment of a housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program to provide a small, time-limited subsidy will allow vulnerable families to avoid the risk of homelessness and gain time to achieve self-sufficiency.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

(2) Explicitly directing the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to establish a housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program;

(3) Exempting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from Chapter 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the purposes of procuring financial case management and counseling services to assist families receiving rental assistance from the housing homeless children rental assistance pilot program;

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

(5) Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of consistency, clarity, 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. 2989, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2989, S.D. 2.

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

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair