STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2182

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.C.R. No. 96

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 96 entitled:

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU TO WORK WITH STATE IN DEVELOPING STRATEGIES TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THE HOMELESS AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN WAIPAHU,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to urge the City and County of Honolulu to work with the State in developing strategies to provide assistance to the homeless and reduce the number of homeless individuals in Waipahu.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Oahu County Committee of the Oahu County Democrats. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness.

Your Committees find that homelessness is a statewide issue that impacts every county. Your Committees further find that although between 2017 and 2018, the number of homeless unsheltered individuals in the State decreased, the Ewa region of Oahu, which includes Waipahu, experienced an 8.2 percent increase in the number of unsheltered homeless individuals compared to the previous year. Nearly thirty percent of the homeless population in the Ewa region are in Waipahu. This measure requests the City and County of Honolulu to work with the State to develop strategies to provide assistance to the homeless and reduce the number of homeless individuals in Waipahu, which will facilitate the statewide strategy to end homelessness in the State and lead to more homeless individuals reclaiming their housing, security, health, and freedom.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 96, and recommend its adoption.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Human Services and Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs,

________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair

________________________________ RUSSELL E. RUDERMAN, Chair