Bill Text: HI SB91 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Housing; State Rent Supplement Program; Appropriation ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2013-03-22 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with Representative(s) Jordan voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) McKelvey, Takumi, Woodson excused (3). [SB91 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-SB91-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 812

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 91

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 91, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to reduce homelessness by providing working homeless families and individuals with a means to obtain permanent rental housing.

 

     Specifically, this measure appropriates funds for:

 

(1)  Rent subsidies for homeless working individuals or families; and

 

(2)  A program specialist to monitor the state rent supplement program.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Partners in Care, Catholic Charities of Hawaii, and two individuals.  The Department of Human Services submitted written comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that many employed homeless people do not earn enough money to afford rental housing at market prices.  The only housing alternative would appear to be public housing, but the waitlists for public housing are long.  Providing a modest rent subsidy of up to $300 a month would help hundreds of individuals and families to secure and maintain permanent housing.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Clarifying that the appropriation for the state rent supplement program is to also provide for the administrative costs to operate the program;

 

(2)  Changing the appropriation for the state rent supplement program to an unspecified amount; and

 

(3)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion on the measure.

 

     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 S.B. No. 91, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 91, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DAVID Y. IGE, Chair