STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1370-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: S.B. No. 3168

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 Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 3168, 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) Permit persons receiving accommodations or services from an Ohana Zone site to request a ninety-day extension of the accommodations or services received by the recipient;

(2) Extend the Ohana Zones Pilot Program's sunset date to June 30, 2028;

(3) Establish an Ohana Zones program within the Hawaii Public Housing Authority as part of its rental assistance programs, upon expiration of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program on June 30, 2028; and

(4) Appropriate funds for the extension of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program and associated expenses.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Kaua‘i County Housing Agency; St. Michael the Archangel Church; Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island, Inc.; Catholic Charities Hawai‘i; Opportunity Youth Action Hui; Partners In Care; Hope Services Hawai‘i; and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Human Services, and Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Your Committees find that the Ohana Zones Pilot Program, established by Act 128, Session Laws of Hawaii 2018, provides flexible funding to the State and counties to develop innovative programs reflecting the local needs of specific communities. Your Committees further find that the Ohana Zones Pilot Program has been effective at serving its intended purposes of providing housing and critical services to the State's homeless population. Since its establishment in 2018, the Ohana Zones Pilot Program has supported twenty projects statewide and as of November 2021, has aided 5,510 homeless individuals statewide, including 1,368 individuals who were placed into permanent housing.

Your Committees find that a similar measure, H.B. No. 2512, H.D. 2 (Regular Session of 2022), was previously passed by the House.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting its contents and inserting the contents of H.B. No. 2512, H.D. 2, a measure that:

(A) Expands regulatory exemptions for Ohana Zones Pilot Program contracts;

(B) Extends the sunset date for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program to June 30, 2026; and

(C) Appropriates funds for the Ohana Zones Pilot Program;

(2) Making the State the payor of last resort for all expenses related to the Ohana Zones Pilot Program; and

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3168, 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 Health, Human Services, & Homelessness and Housing,

____________________________ NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair

____________________________ RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair