STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1830

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.R. No. 114

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 S.R. No. 114 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO REEVALUATE THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to encourage the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to reevaluate the rental assistance program.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from PHOCUSED, O‘ahu County Democrats Legislative Priorities Committee, and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that affordable housing remains one of the most pressing issues in the State. The state rental assistance program provides qualified rental project owners with monthly rental assistance subsidies to assist eligible tenants to make their rental payments. Your Committee further finds that since its inception, the rental assistance program has provided rental assistance subsidies for 1,437 units in 17 affordable rental projects statewide. However, older project contracts have expired and with a lack of resources for new projects, only 10 projects remain in the program, with a total of 1,204 assisted units. Rental subsidies are critical to address the lack of affordable housing. Your Committee believes that the rental assistance program should be reevaluated to provide more assistance to address the lack of affordable housing.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 114 and recommends its adoption.

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

________________________________

STANLEY CHANG, Chair