STAND. COM. REP. NO. 950

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 536

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 536, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to not select or to terminate from state low-income housing any applicant or tenant if the applicant, tenant, or a household member owns or acquires a home within the State.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Homeless and Affordable Housing Institute.

 

     Your Committee finds that under existing law, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is not able to consider whether an applicant is a homeowner in determining eligibility of living in low-income public housing.  Meanwhile, there are over ten thousand families on the waitlist for low-income public housing.  By allowing the Authority to deny acceptance for or terminate the tenancy of an individual or family who owns or acquires a home, the Authority will be able to house those who truly have no other means of shelter.

 

     During the hearing on this measure, your Committee heard testimony expressing concerns about victims of crime and hopes that the Authority will look into exempting victims of criminal activity, such as domestic abuse and sexual assault, from having to return to an unsafe environment.  Your Committee finds that this issue merits further consideration and requests that your Committee on Ways and Means further examine the issue raised by testimony on this measure.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that a deceased veteran's widower shall also be given first preference when the Authority selects tenants based upon greatest need.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 536, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 536, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair