STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1340

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: S.B. No. 1610

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 1610, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OHANA ZONES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish the Ohana Zones Program within the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions;

(2) Authorize the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to exempt ohana zones projects from general excise taxes; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the Ohana Zones Program's transient temporary housing and the development and management of kauhales or semi-permanent housing to transition persons out of homelessness.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and County of Hawai‘i Office of Housing and Community Development. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Taxation; Department of Human Services; and Tax Foundation of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that homelessness remains a critical issue in Hawaii, requiring innovative solutions to provide stable, transitional housing and essential services. This measure establishes the Ohana Zones Program within the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions and aims to create designated areas where homeless individuals and families can access temporary shelter, medical and social services, and pathways to permanent housing. By integrating shelter, health care, and supportive services, this measure enhances the State's capacity to break the cycle of homelessness and provide sustainable pathways to housing stability.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that Ohana Zone sites that have the ability to hook up to public utilities shall be preferred for the Ohana Zones Program, under certain conditions;

(2) Removing the sunset date;

(3) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1610, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1610, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Homelessness,

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair