STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1889
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: H.B. No. 1397
H.D. 1
S.D. 2
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 1397, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SUPPORTIVE HOUSING,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose and
intent of this measure is to provide supportive housing and related services that improve the
living conditions, employment prospects, and quality of life for vulnerable
populations, including those having special needs and lower incomes.
More
specifically, the measure:
(1) Establishes a supportive housing pilot program
within the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to provide
and maintain supportive housing and services for individuals and families
having special needs and household incomes at or below thirty percent of the
area median income;
(2) Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness
and Housing Solutions to collaborate with the Hawaii Housing Finance and
Development Corporation, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and various state,
county, and community agencies to implement the pilot program;
(3) Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority
to implement project-based rent supplement payments to assist project owners in
maintaining rental housing units at affordable levels for eligible households;
(4) Requires the Statewide Office on Homelessness
and Housing Solutions to administer payments for supportive services,
including employment services, to assist participants in the pilot program
and to develop an information system for the standardized collection of
program data;
(5) Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and
Development Corporation, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and Statewide Office
on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to submit joint interim and final reports
to the Legislature; and
(6) Appropriates funds for the implementation of
the pilot program, including the establishment of staff positions.
Your Committee
received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public
Housing Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, State
Council on Developmental Disabilities, Judiciary, Governor's Coordinator on
Homelessness, State Council on Mental Health, AARP Hawaii, Hawaiian Humane
Society, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Substance Abuse Coalition, Pacific
Housing Assistance Corporation, Hawaii State Coalition Against Domestic
Violence, Hawaii REALTORS, AlohaCare, HOPE Services Hawaii, Partners in Care,
and numerous individuals.
Your Committee
received written comments on this measure from the State Procurement Office and
Department of Human Services.
Your Committee finds that the supportive housing pilot
program established by this measure will help the State to determine the
impacts of supportive housing for vulnerable populations and provide urgent
housing in the midst of the State's homelessness crisis and ongoing housing
shortage.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Changing the appropriation amounts to unspecified amounts;
(2) Deleting from the measure's appropriation sections language that would have established one full-time equivalent permanent staff position in each of the following entities: the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Hawaii Public Housing Authority; and Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions; and
(3) 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 H.B. No. 1397, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1397, H.D. 1, 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 |
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