STAND. COM. REP. NO.1510

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2003

RE: S.C.R. No. 75

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2003

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Human Services, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 75 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE GOVERNOR TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE TO ADDRESS THE CONTINUAL NEED AND UNMET DEMAND FOR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING FACILITIES ON OAHU,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the formation of a task force to address the problem of a shortage of transitional housing on Oahu.

The Housing and Community Development Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH), Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Blueprint for Change testified in support of the measure. Comments on the measure were submitted by the Judiciary, Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance, and Homeless Solutions.

Your Committees find that HCDCH is currently involved in efforts to address the State's homelessness problem through its coordination of the Hawaii State Homeless Policy Academy (Academy). The Academy is one of several regional academies throughout the nation established as a joint initiative of the federal Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs, to improve access to mainstream services for different segments of the homeless population. Hawaii is one of eight states selected to receive technical assistance on developing an action plan to improve access to mainstream services for the chronically homeless.

Your Committees have amended this measure by replacing its contents with language that references the problem of chronic homelessness in Hawaii, describes the Academy and its mission, and requests the HCDCH to report to the Legislature on the progress of the State's action plan to address the problem of chronic homelessness in Hawaii.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 75, as amended herein, and recommend its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 75, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Commerce, Consumer Protection and Housing and Human Services,

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SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair

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RON MENOR, Chair