STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3676

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 2745

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 2745, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase access to affordable rental housing.

 

     More specifically, this measure:

 

(1)  Increases the minimum percentage of units that a rental housing project is required to maintain for low-income tenants;

 

(2)  Decreases the maximum income ceiling for a family or individual to be considered an eligible tenant under the Rental Assistance Program; and

 

(3)  Appropriates moneys to be deposited into the rental assistance revolving fund.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Catholic Charities Hawaii, and the Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai`i.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

 

     Your Committee finds that increasing the availability of and strengthening eligibility standards for affordable housing will increase access to affordable housing for many low-income households.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Appropriating moneys out of the rental assistance revolving fund to support new rental assistance program contracts; and

 

(2)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     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 H.B. No. 2745, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2745, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair