STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1450-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2557

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Human Services & Homelessness, to which was referred S.B. No. 2557, 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 require the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions to include the following information in their annual reports to the Legislature:

(1) The number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and number of individuals placed in permanent housing arrangements;

(2) Information on certain contracts, including contract amounts, contractor names, the purpose of the contracts, any terms or conditions of the contracts, and performance outcomes in reducing the number of persons experiencing homelessness;

(3) Any plans or proposals made by the Office to enhance Kauhale projects; and

(4) Coordination efforts between the Office and any county, state, or federal agencies, or with private or nonprofit organizations, to reduce homelessness in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the State Health Planning and Development Agency; State Council on Mental Health; Policy Advisory Board for Elder Affairs; and Waikīkī Neighborhood Board No. 09. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions.

Your Committee finds that the Statewide Office on Homelessness and Housing Solutions is statutorily required to develop and test innovative solutions to prevent and end homelessness in Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that homelessness continues to be a major challenge in the State, despite prior legislative efforts and funding appropriations made to address this issue. The added reporting requirements proposed by this measure will enable policymakers to compare strategies over time and across communities, identify service and housing inventory gaps, and make more informed budget and policy choices to reduce homelessness throughout Hawaii.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

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

(2) 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 Human Services & Homelessness that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2557, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LISA MARTEN, Chair