STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1471

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 699

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 699, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to evict a tenant convicted of a misdemeanor or felony committed during the term of the tenancy for an act relating to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's property, administrative offices, employees, employees' property or vehicles, or funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force, Drug Policy Forum of Hawai‘i, Americans for Democratic Action Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i Health and Harm Reduction Center, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's administrative offices, employees, and their vehicles are sometimes threatened, assaulted, or vandalized by public housing tenants. When a tenant commits a misdemeanor or felony related to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's property or funds, they abuse their privilege as a tenant, undermine the safety of law-abiding public housing tenants, and take away housing opportunities from other law-abiding families of the State's most disadvantaged populations. This measure will maintain the safety of law-abiding tenants of public housing and protect the employees and properties of the Hawaii Housing Public Authority.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2075, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

Your Committee notes the concerns of individuals that evicting a tenant for a misdemeanor offense is a severe punishment and may have unintended consequences, such as making tenants homeless, and encourages further discussion regarding these concerns.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 699, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 699, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

________________________________

STANLEY CHANG, Chair