STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1038

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: S.B. No. 221

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Health, Human Services, & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 221, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to allow the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, in conjunction with the Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness, to develop plans for the City and County of Honolulu and the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, and Maui to coordinate the services and shelter facilities of public agencies and nonprofit organizations to meet the concerns of communities impacted by homelessness and the needs of the homeless population of the regions within each county.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Affairs Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Hawaii Health & Harm Reduction Center, and Catholic Charities Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the homeless population in each county has unique regional needs and that a coordinated plan between the counties is critical in addressing and combating homelessness in the State. Your Committee further finds that directing the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to develop separate regional plans for each county to coordinate homelessness services and shelter facilities with public agencies and nonprofit organizations will more effectively address homelessness in each community.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring, rather than permitting, the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to coordinate with the counties to develop separate regional plans for each county for the coordination of services and shelter facilities of public agencies and nonprofit organizations to meet the regional needs of the homeless populations in the State;

(2) Requiring the county plans to include specific strategies to address the unmet needs in each county;

(3) Requiring the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness to provide annual reports on the status of the county plans to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of each regular session starting with the Regular Session of 2022;

(4) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2060, to encourage further discussion; and

(5) 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 Health, Human Services, & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 221, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 221, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

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

____________________________

RYAN I. YAMANE, Chair