STAND. COM. REP. NO.  29

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

RE:   H.B. No. 928

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 928 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SOCIAL SERVICES,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to increase low- and moderate-income families' homeownership by:

     (1)  Exempting family self-sufficiency escrow accounts from the asset test for public assistance administered by the Department of Human Services; and

     (2)  Appropriating funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) for:

     (a)  Increasing outreach to increase enrollment in the section 8 homeownership option and the housing choice voucher family self-sufficiency programs;

     (b)  Increasing administrative support for both of the programs;

     (c)  Providing matching grants or loan forgiveness to section 8 homeownership option program participants to help with down payments; and

     (d)  Providing additional state matches to housing choice voucher family self-sufficiency program participants to help participants build homeownership savings.

     3Point and the Hawai'i Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development supported this bill.  HPHA provided comments.

     Your Committee notes that it is estimated that approximately $500,000 will be needed for HPHA to expand its efforts as provided in this bill.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 928 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair