Bill Text: HI SCR2 | 2020 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Strongly Urging The United States Department Of Housing And Urban Development And The United States Congress To Provide Additional Federal Funds For Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants Under The Native American Housing Assistance And Self-determination Act And Identify And Secure Other Forms Of Direct Assistance To Address The Affordable Housing Needs Of The Native Hawaiian Population And Urging The Department Of Hawaiian Home Lands To Assist And Train Individual Hawaiian Homesteads On The Technical Aspects And Processes Involved In Expending And Utilizing Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2020-07-01 - Referred to FIN, referral sheet 52 [SCR2 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2020-SCR2-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.C.R. NO. |
2 |
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THIRTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2020 |
S.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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SENATE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
STRONGLY URGING THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL FEDERAL FUNDS FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANTS UNDER THE NATIVE AMERICAN HOUSING ASSISTANCE AND SELF-DETERMINATION ACT AND IDENTIFY AND SECURE OTHER FORMS OF DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO ADDRESS THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDS OF THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN POPULATION AND URGING THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS TO ASSIST AND TRAIN INDIVIDUAL HAWAIIAN HOMESTEADS ON THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS AND PROCESSES INVOLVED IN EXPENDING AND UTILIZING NATIVE HAWAIIAN HOUSING BLOCK GRANTS.
WHEREAS, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act (NAHASDA) was passed in 1996 and established a block grant program to transform the way American Indians and Alaska Natives were provided affordable housing on rural Indian reservations and Alaska Native villages; and
WHEREAS, the United States Congress amended NAHASDA in 2000 by adding Title VIII to provide similar funding for Native Hawaiian families whose total household income is at or below eighty percent of the established area median income levels for their respective counties, and who are eligible to reside on Hawaiian home lands; and
WHEREAS, the stated objectives of the NAHASDA are to assist native communities in achieving the goals of economic self-sufficiency and self-determination, which should include recognizing the special and independent nature of each Hawaiian homestead; and
WHEREAS, the federal government's financial investment into affordable housing activities in Hawaiian homestead communities through the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant has been steadily decreasing since its highest award of $12,700,000 in 2010 to only $2,000,000 in 2019, 2018, and 2017, with no federal appropriations made in 2016; and
WHEREAS, Hawaii is experiencing a critical affordable housing shortage and more funding, not less, is needed to support infrastructure development, home construction and rehabilitation programs, direct loans, and housing subsidies for Native Hawaiian families; and
WHEREAS, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is the designated recipient for the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant as administered by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and
WHEREAS, designating individual Hawaiian homesteads in the State of Hawaii to be direct recipients of Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants, in addition to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, could expedite the effective utilization of these funds and expand affordable housing opportunities for low-income families and individuals living on, or desiring to live on Hawaiian homesteads; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirtieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2020, the House of Representatives concurring, that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Congress of the United States are strongly urged to provide additional federal funds for Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants under the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Congress of the United States are strongly urged to identify and secure other forms of direct assistance to the State of Hawaii to address the affordable housing needs of the Native Hawaiian population; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands is urged to assist and train individual Hawaiian homesteads on the technical aspects and processes involved in expending and utilizing Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grants; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, United States Secretary of the Interior, Majority Leader of the United States Senate, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and members of Hawaii's congressional delegation.
County of Maui Package; Native Hawaiian Housing
