STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 4

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 4 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HUMAN SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Human Services to reimburse non-profit entities that provide housing assistance services to the homeless population.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from IMUAlliance, Hawaii Youth Services Network, and Young Progressives Demanding Action.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness and Department of Human Services.

 

     Your Committee finds that the chronically homeless are often the most visible homeless, living in neighborhoods, doorways, and under bridges.  These persons experience homelessness over a long period of time and incur very significant public costs.  Providing resources to programs that provide housing assistance, like the housing first program, can result in chronically homeless persons obtaining permanent housing and services they may need to keep them in housing and off the streets.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Adjusting the appropriation amount from $25,000,000 to $10,000,000; and

 

     (2)  Specifying that the appropriation shall instead be used to reimburse housing first program providers that provide housing assistance services to the homeless population.

 

     Your Committee on Human Services notes that the amendments made to this measure may require the measure to additionally be referred to your Committee on Housing.

 

     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 S.B. No. 4, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 4, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

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

 

 

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair