SB3108

SECTION 1. The legislature established the ohana zones pilot program through Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, and later revised and extended the program to June 30, 2023 through Act 128, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019. As defined in section 2 of Act 209, an ohana zone is a place: (1) That has a program to address basic needs of individuals experiencing homelessness; and (2) Where wrap-around services, social and health care services, transportation, and other services may be offered with the goals of alleviating poverty and transitioning individuals experiencing homelessness into affordable housing.

As of September 30, 2021, the ohana zones pilot program included nineteen separate projects that collectively served 5,067 individuals statewide, including 1,129 individuals who were placed into permanent housing. The program maintained 358 beds in the homeless services system and added 432 new beds for shelter or housing. In addition, the ohana zones pilot program has enabled the State and counties to be flexible and quickly add shelter capacity in response to the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

The legislature finds that the demand for homeless services is expected to continue at current levels and increase in the years following the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the 2009 economic recession, the statewide point-in- time count of homeless individuals increased from 5,782 in 2009 to a high of 7,921 in 2016. The increase of 2,139 people was a 36.9 per cent increase over the seven years following the 2009 recession. It is likely that the increase in homelessness following the pandemic may be larger in scale due to the continuing uncertainty for economic recovery as the pandemic continues.

The legislature further finds that there is a need to continue and expand the ohana zones pilot program to respond to homelessness as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The continuation of the ohana zones pilot program will enable the continuation of effective pilot projects to mitigate future increases in homelessness. In addition, increased resources for the ohana zones pilot program will enable the State to develop new ohana zones pilot projects to further expand shelter and housing capacity for individuals directly experiencing or transitioning out of homelessness.

New projects and resources are particularly needed to address housing and shelter needs of unaccompanied minors and young adults who do not have access to adequate resources or family supports to maintain housing. The pandemic has highlighted the system barriers that impact unaccompanied minors and young adults as neither group is eligible for most existing financial assistance programs that are available to unemployed, parenting, or disabled residents.

The purpose of this Act is to continue and expand the ohana zones pilot program by three additional years, with the goals of improving the health and well-being of individuals experiencing homelessness and providing individuals experiencing homelessness with needed services.

SECTION 2. Act 209, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, as amended by Act 128, Session Laws of Hawaii 2019, is amended by amending section 4 to read as follows:

"SECTION 4. (a) Contracts entered into by the agencies designated by the governor pursuant to the ohana zones pilot program shall be exempt from the requirements of chapters 103D and 103F, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

(b) The agencies designated by the governor shall establish no later than December 31, 2018, the following:

(1) The criteria that the agencies will use to evaluate potential ohana zone locations;

(2) A monthly timetable of milestones that the agencies expect to meet in establishing one or more ohana zones over the course of the three-year pilot program;

(3) The specific, measurable, attainable, reasonable, and time-based performance measures that the agencies expect to meet at the end of each fiscal year;

(4) The evaluation criteria and process that the agencies intend to use each year when reviewing the success and sustainability of the ohana zones; and

(5) The monitoring and oversight controls that the agencies will have over the ohana zones to identify, address, and prevent possible fraud, waste, and abuse and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal laws.

(c) The governor's coordinator on homelessness shall compile and consolidate information from the agencies designated by the governor to effectuate this part and submit reports to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of 2020, 2021, [~~and~~] 2022[.], 2023, 2024, and 2025.

(d) The report submitted no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2020 shall include the following information:

(1) A summary and explanation of the process that the agencies designated by the governor pursuant to the ohana zones pilot program engaged in to identify possible ohana zone locations; and

(2) A summary of the information required under subsection (b).

(e) The reports submitted no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular sessions of [~~2021 and~~] 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 shall include the following information:

(1) The milestones established pursuant to subsection (b) that were met by the agencies designated by the governor pursuant to the ohana zones pilot program and ohana zones established during the fiscal year;

(2) An evaluation of the ohana zones to determine whether the objectives set have been met or exceeded;

(3) Any proposed changes that need to be made to the performance measures used to assess the achievement of program goals; and

(4) An assessment of the impact of the ohana zone model on the homelessness problem in Hawaii.

(f) The pilot program shall cease to exist on June 30, [~~2023.~~] 2026."

SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $15,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2022-2023 to be used solely for the implementation of projects through the ohana zones pilot program that address the basic needs of individuals experiencing homelessness.

The sum appropriated shall be expended by the office of the governor for the purposes of this Act; provided that the governor may transfer the expenditure authority to designated executive branch departments or agencies.

SECTION 4. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

BY REQUEST

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	3108
THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022
STATE OF HAWAII