Bill Text: HI SCR136 | 2024 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting The Department Of Health To Establish A Housing Equity And Wellness Task Force.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-03-14 - Referred to HHS/HOU. [SCR136 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2024-SCR136-Introduced.html
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
136 |
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THIRTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2024 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
Requesting the Department of health to ESTABLISH a housing equity and wellness task force.
WHEREAS, housing security plays a crucial role in preventing suicides and safeguarding mental health, as evidenced by recent incidents of elderly community members experiencing serious crises following eviction notices, underscoring the disproportionate impact of the housing crisis on marginalized groups, particularly middle- and lower-class elderly community members; and
WHEREAS, housing insecurity poses a significant risk for Hawaii's kupuna, where the exorbitant cost of living amplifies financial strain and exponentially increases the risk of homelessness and displacement; and
WHEREAS, working-class individuals constitute a significant portion of the tenant population in the community, and there exists an inherent injustice of rent increases outpacing stagnant wages, as wages are the primary means by which tenants afford their housing; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii's kupuna are among the most vulnerable to the housing crisis, which is exacerbated by the State's prohibitive cost of living, with residents spending more income on rent than in any other State; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii residents statistically endure the most unaffordable rental market in the country as over half of households are living paycheck to paycheck, and approximately forty-three percent of households are renters who spend nearly half of their earnings on rent; and
WHEREAS, current laws in Hawaii provide insufficient protections for tenants, with month-to-month tenancies without legal cause requiring only a forty-five day notice, leaving vulnerable individuals with limited avenues to address the threat of sudden eviction; and
WHEREAS, homes and communities are integral to a person's sense of identity, particularly the elderly, making them more susceptible to the crises resulting from eviction, further compounded by recent occurrences of mental health outbursts among elderly community members facing eviction, highlighting the urgent need for greater protections; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-second Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2024, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to establish a Housing Equity and Wellness Task Force dedicated to studying the effect of housing insecurity on mental health and well-being, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as the elderly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to conduct a study on the effect of housing insecurity on mental health and well-being, with a focus on vulnerable populations such as the elderly; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force is requested to submit a report and any findings and recommendations, including proposed legislation, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2025; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Health, Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, and Chairperson of the Hawaii State Council on Mental Health.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Department of Health; Hawaii Public Housing Authority; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Hawaii State Council on Mental Health; Housing; Mental Health; Rent
