STAND. COM. REP. NO. 382

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 680

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 H.B. No. 680 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to appropriate funds for the repair, renovation, improvements, and maintenance of dwelling units at federal and state low-income public housing projects.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the State's current public housing inventory is dated and the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is facing capital improvement needs that backlog to approximately $800,000,000. With multiple properties that were built over fifty years ago, your Committee believes that additional funding is needed to keep these public housing units in safe, decent, and sanitary condition.

Your Committee notes concerns raised during the public hearing on this measure regarding whether or not this measure applies only to existing projects and if this measure is project specific.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the appropriation to an unspecified amount;

(2) Authorizing the appropriation to be used by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to contract out, without regard to chapter 76, Hawaii Revised Statutes, for the repair, renovation, improvements, and maintenance of federal and state low-income public housing units;

(3) Requiring the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to submit reports to the Legislature on completed and pending projects funded under this measure;

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

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

Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider an appropriation amount of $30,000,000.

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 H.B. No. 680, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 680, 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