STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2208

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2504

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Housing and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2504 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Landlord Incentive Program Special Fund;

(2) Provide incentives for landlords who participate in certain Hawaii Public Housing Authority voucher programs; and

(3) Make an appropriation to the special fund.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Partners in Care, Hawai‘i Health & Harm Reduction Center, Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS®, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, and two individuals. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committees find that this measure provides vital incentives for landlords who participate in certain voucher programs. According to testimony received from Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority needs greater flexibility to incentivize landlords to participate in the Section 8 housing first voucher program.

Accordingly, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Allowing funds from the landlord incentive special fund be used to provide rent reimbursement incentives; and

(2) Including additional voucher programs through which land owners may be eligible for the landlord incentive program.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2504, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2504, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

________________________________ JOY A. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Chair

________________________________ STANLEY CHANG, Chair