STAND. COM. REP. NO.  463-22

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2022

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1648

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred H.B. No. 1648 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to:

 

(1)  Establish the Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions;

 

(2)  Establish the Homelessness and Housing Solutions Special Fund; and

 

(3)  Appropriate funds for the administration of the Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of the Public Defender, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and three individuals.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Human Services, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Budget and Finance, and Department of Public Safety.

 

     Your Committees find that homelessness is one of the most pressing problems in the State, with the State's homelessness per capita rate among the highest in the nation.  The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness currently has the mandate and authority to lead the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness, which is a cross-sector, inter-governmental advisory council tasked with shaping and executing the State's strategy to end homelessness.  Your Committees further find that a sustained, long-term coordinated effort by government and the private sector is necessary to reduce and end homelessness statewide.  The creation of a central office, as proposed in this measure, would enable greater collaboration, coordination, and creation of effective initiatives to prevent, reduce, and end homelessness.

 

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Placing the Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions within the Department of Human Services, rather than within the Department of Budget and Finance;

 

     (2)  Making the civil service exemption applicable to only the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness;

 

     (3)  Authorizing each county to provide matching funds for deposit into the Homelessness and Housing Solutions Special Fund;

 

     (4)  Requiring that monies in the special fund be used in accordance with state laws governing contracts made by state agencies for purchases of health and human services;

 

     (5)  Exempting the special fund from the central service expenses and departmental administrative expenses assessments;

 

     (6)  Appropriating funds to include an unspecified number of full-time equivalent positions for administration of the Office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions;

 

     (7)  Changing the appropriations to unspecified amounts;

 

     (8)  Designating the Department of Human Services as the expending agency for the appropriations in this measure;

 

     (9)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1648, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1648, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

 

 

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

 

____________________________

NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair