STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1612

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: S.B. No. 471

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Human Services & Homelessness and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 471, 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 the State's housing and homelessness crisis by appropriating unspecified amounts to:

(1) The Department of Human Services to fund and administer core homelessness services through the outreach, rapid re-housing, and housing first programs; family assessment centers; and the coordinated statewide homeless initiative; and

(2) The Department of Health to fund and administer the law enforcement-assisted diversion program and a long-term rental assistance pilot program (pilot program).

The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, Judiciary, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Youth Services Network, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Hawaii Kai Homeless Task Force, Americans for Democratic Action, Mental Health America of Hawai‘i, Aloha United Way, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, and two individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Department of Health submitted testimony in opposition to this measure.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Changing all references to the Department of Health to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority because the Hawaii Public Housing Authority may be a more appropriate agency to establish and administer a long-term rental assistance program because of its experience with the Section 8 housing assistance program;

(2) Authorizing the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to adopt rules for the pilot program;

(3) Deleting language relating to specific administrative rules and processes for the pilot program; and

(4) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

Your Committees note the testimony of the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness that the Executive Budget requests funding for homeless services administered by the Department of Human Services in Program ID HMS 224. Specifically, the Executive Budget requests general funds for the Housing First Program ($3,750,000); Rapid Re-Housing ($3,750,000), Family Assessment Center ($1,550,000), Homeless Outreach and Civil Legal Services ($1,750,000), and Stored Property and Debris Removal Services ($5,000,000).

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services & Homelessness and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 471, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 471, 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 Human Services & Homelessness and Housing,

____________________________ TOM BROWER, Chair

______________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair