STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1355-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 2370

S.D. 2

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 S.B. No. 2370, 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:

(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, subject to certain conditions.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Judiciary, Office of the Public Defender, and four individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Department of Public Safety, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Human Services, Department of Budget and Finance, and The Institute for Human Services.

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 under Part XVIII of Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness;

(2) Removing the civil service exemption for employees of the Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions other than the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness;

(3) Removing the responsibility of the Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to develop and implement homelessness and housing strategies as specified in the measure;

(4) Deleting the establishment of the Homelessness and Housing Solutions Special Fund;

(5) Removing the requirement that the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness seek matching funds from the county in which proposed capital improvements are built or created;

(6) Authorizing, rather than requiring, each county to provide support for programs within its county;

(7) Appropriating general funds, instead of funds from the Homelessness and Housing Solutions Special Fund, for the administration of the Office of Homelessness and Housing Solutions, which shall include full-time equivalent positions for administration of the office; and

(8) 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 S.B. No. 2370, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2370, 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 Housing and Health, Human Services, & Homelessness,

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair

____________________________ NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair