STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2783

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3168

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to ensure the continued provision of housing and critical services to the State's homeless population.

More specifically, the measure:

(1) Extends the Ohana Zones Pilot Program's sunset date by five years, to June 30, 2028;

(2) Establishes an Ohana Zones Program within the Hawaii Public Housing Authority upon the pilot program's June 30, 2028, expiration date, and requires that the Authority's program be substantially similar to the pilot program; and

(3) Appropriates moneys for the extension of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program and expenses related to facility construction, renovation, and maintenance; provision of services and staffing; and administrative costs.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Women in Need, Partners in Care, Opportunity Youth Action Hui, and four individuals.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of the Attorney General, and Department of Budget and Finance.

Your Committee finds that the extension of the Ohana Zones Pilot Program will provide additional resources to address homelessness and housing instability across the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Adding a new section to the measure that would allow a person receiving accommodations or services from an Ohana Zone Pilot Program site to request a ninety-day extension of the person's receipt of accommodations or services;

(2) Inserting language in the measure's appropriation section to provide that all moneys from the appropriation that are unencumbered as of June 30, 2025, shall lapse as of that date, and deleting language that would have permitted transfer of funds unused by June 30, 2028, to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority;

(3) Changing the appropriation from $15,000,000 to an unspecified amount;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3168, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair