Bill Text: HI SR98 | 2013 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Homeless; Native Hawaiians; Working Group

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 12-0)

Status: (Passed) 2013-06-07 - Certified copies of resolutions sent, 06-07-13. [SR98 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-SR98-Introduced.html

THE SENATE

S.R. NO.

98

TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the coordinator on homelessness to assemble a working group to identify innovative housing solutions for homeless native hawaiian families; investigate suitable and available federal, state, county, and private land for innovative housing projects; and prepare a plan to develop a demonstration housing project for homeless Native hawaiian families that can serve as a model statewide.

 

 


     WHEREAS, homelessness is a complex and multi-faceted issue that requires planning, coordination, implementation, and funding across federal, state, county, business, local, and community lines; and

 

     WHEREAS, although local government agencies, non-profit service providers, and other private sector organizations have diligently and successfully assisted homeless individuals, the number of individuals and families in Hawaii who are homeless continues to increase, with the number of homeless individuals served increasing by over one thousand from 13,000 in 2009 to approximately 14,000 in 2012; and

 

     WHEREAS, Native Hawaiians are disproportionately represented among Hawaii's homeless at twenty-eight percent of the homeless served; and

 

     WHEREAS, homelessness is often a revolving door for many Native Hawaiian families because of underlying and unresolved socioeconomic problems such as unemployment, poor health, and substance abuse; and

 

     WHEREAS, to break the cycle of homelessness and end the generational neglect of children within homeless Native Hawaiian families, it is necessary to develop innovative housing solutions that provide the families with stable housing and access to support and to strengthen services to resolve underlying problems; and

 

     WHEREAS, developing these solutions will require the cooperation and collaboration of the agencies and organizations from the governmental, private, business, and non-profit sectors of our community; and

 

     WHEREAS, because innovative housing solutions for homeless Native Hawaiian families may include traditional, culturally based solutions, such as re-creating "kauhale" housing complexes, the participation of expert Hawaiian cultural practitioners will be required; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-seventh Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2013, that the Coordinator on Homelessness is directed to assemble a working group of individuals from federal, state, and county government agencies, the business community, private sector organizations, non-profit service providers, and Hawaiian cultural practitioners to:

 

     (1)  Identify innovate housing solutions for homeless Native Hawaiian families;

 

     (2)  Investigate suitable and available federal, state, county, and private land for innovative housing projects; and

 

     (3)  Prepare a plan to develop a demonstration housing project for homeless Native Hawaiian families that can serve as a model statewide; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group, chaired by the Coordinator on Homelessness, is requested to include representatives from the following:

 

     (1)  Department of Human Services;

 

     (2)  Department of Health;

 

     (3)  Department of Labor and Industrial Relations;

 

     (4)  Department of Land and Natural Resources;

 

     (5)  Department of Hawaiian Home Lands;

 

     (6)  Office of Hawaiian Affairs;

 

     (7)  Interagency Council on Homelessness;

 

     (8)  Workforce Hawaii;

 

     (9)  Hawaii Housing and Finance Development Corporation;

 

    (10)  Department of Agriculture;

 

    (11)  United States Department of Housing and Urban Development;

 

    (12)  United States Department of Agricultural Rural Development;

 

    (13)  County Parks and Recreation Departments;

 

    (14)  University of Hawaii Department of Urban and Regional Planning;

 

    (15)  University of Hawaii School of Architecture;

 

    (16)  Partners in Development Foundation, Inc.;

 

    (17)  Blueprint for Change;

 

    (18)  Hawaiian Community Assets;

 

    (19)  Alternative Structures International, Hawaii;

 

    (20)  Hawaii Habitat for Humanity; and

 

    (21)  Appropriate, Hawaiian cultural practitioner groups; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the working group is requested to report its findings and recommendations, including:

 

     (1)  Recommended solutions to the problem of homeless Native Hawaiians;

 

     (2)  Identification of potential land sites for innovative housing projects; and

 

     (3)  A draft plan to develop a demonstration project for homeless Native Hawaiians,

 

to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2014; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; Coordinator on Homelessness; Director of Human Services; Director of Health; Director of Labor and Industrial Relations; Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; Executive Director of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing and Finance Development Corporation; Chairperson of the Board of Agriculture; Department Chair of the University of Hawaii Department of Urban and Regional Planning; Dean of the University of Hawaii School of Architecture; United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; United States Department of Agricultural Rural Development; Directors of the County Parks and Recreation Departments; Partners in Development Foundation, Inc.; Blueprint for Change; Hawaiian Community Assets; Alternative Structures International, Hawaii; and Hawaii Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

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Report Title: 

Homeless; Native Hawaiians; Working Group

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