THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

912

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

S.D. 2

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HOUSING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


PART I

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that chronic homelessness in Hawaii is a serious problem.  One of the many barriers faced by homeless persons is the lack of available rental housing.  The legislature also finds that King county, in Washington state, created the landlord liaison project in March 2009 to help homeless clients obtain private market rental housing.  The landlord liaison project created incentives for landlords to relax their screening criteria for homeless people who face barriers in accessing permanent housing.  In the first ten months of the project, the King county landlord liaison project was quite successful.  One hundred forty-seven households were placed in permanent housing, and ninety-six per cent of the client households retained their housing six months after moving in.  The legislature finds that Hawaii would greatly benefit by funding a similar housing placement program to help increase the availability of rental housing for persons who face obstacles in moving from homelessness to permanent housing and persons with lower incomes who need to find affordable rental housing.

     The purpose of this part is to appropriate funds for the housing placement program.

     SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $        or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 for the funding of the housing placement program within the homeless programs office of the department of human services.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this part.

PART II

     SECTION 3.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the State of Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii community development authority for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the State of Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 5.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing public housing stock and increase public housing units in the State of Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 6.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the city and county of Honolulu.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the city and county of Honolulu for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the county of Maui.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the county of Maui for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 8.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the county of Hawaii.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the county of Hawaii for the purposes of this part.

     SECTION 9.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2011-2012 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2012-2013 to improve existing affordable housing stock and increase affordable housing units in the county of Kauai.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the county of Kauai for the purposes of this part.

PART III

     SECTION 10.  To immediately implement the housing first program under section 346-378, Hawaii Revised Statutes, the department of human services shall:

     (1)  Identify state, county, and privately-owned real estate properties statewide that are appropriately zoned and have necessary infrastructure in place for the development of affordable rental housing for low-income individuals and families under the housing first program;

     (2)  Identify and provide a feasibility and cost analysis regarding an appropriate site on state, county, or privately-owned real estate property that is appropriately zoned and has necessary infrastructure in place for the development, by new construction or refurbishing, of an initial housing first program model housing project that focuses on single-resident occupancy affordable rental housing; provided that the site shall be centrally located within an urban core;

     (3)  Strive to locate health, social, educational, and employment services on housing first program project sites, where appropriate; and

     (4)  Identify dedicated funding sources for the housing first program.

     SECTION 11.  For purposes of section 10 of this Act, the department of human services shall report its findings and recommendations to the governor and the legislature no later than December 1, 2011.  The findings and recommendations shall include:

     (1)  The identification of each property by legal owner, street location, and tax map key number;

     (2)  The description of the existing use of each property and the current zoning designation of the property;

     (3)  Information on the value of each property and the basis of the valuation;

     (4)  An analysis of the potential for each property to implement housing first programs and services; and

     (5)  The identification of dedicated funding sources for housing first programs and services.

PART IV

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

 


 


 

Report Title:

Housing Placement Program; Homelessness; Affordable Housing; Homeless Programs Office; DHS; Appropriation

 

 

Description:

Appropriates funds for the housing placement program within the homeless programs office of DHS.  Makes appropriations to improve the existing public and affordable housing stock and increase public and affordable housing units in the State.  Requires DHS to immediately implement the housing first program.  Effective 7/1/2050.  (SD2)

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.