STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1400

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 898

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 898, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO KUPUNA HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Temporarily expand the State Rent Supplement Program to specifically target qualified individuals who are sixty-two years of age or older and are homeless or at imminent risk of becoming homeless;

(2) Require the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to submit annual reports regarding the State Rent Supplement Program for Kupuna to the Legislature; and

(3) Appropriate funds for the State Rent Supplement Program for Kupuna.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Disability and Communication Access Board, Rainbow Family 808, AARP Hawai‘i, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, Kūpuna Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, and nine individuals.

Your Committee finds that homelessness among Hawaii's kupuna is a central part of the affordable housing needs in the State. The high cost of living in the State, fixed income and complex health needs of older adults, rapidly rising rents, and declining availability of affordable housing make rental assistance for older adults a necessity. Your Committee further finds that there is a critical need to help the most vulnerable elders in the State access housing. Providing rent supplements to these individuals is an important part of the overall solution to address Hawaii's housing and homelessness issues.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Exempting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from the Hawaii Public Procurement Code when selecting a qualified non-profit organization to administer the State Rent Supplement Program for Kupuna;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(3) 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 Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 898, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 898, 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 Housing,

____________________________

TROY N. HASHIMOTO, Chair