STAND. COM. REP. NO. 267

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1214

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health, to which was referred S.B. No. 1214 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Department of Human Services, including the Office of Youth Services, to provide homeless outreach services.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness, Office of Youth Services, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Partners in Care, Hawaii Youth Services Network, PHOCUSED, IMUAlliance, Parents and Children Together, Democratic Party of Hawaii, and one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Human Services, Department of Health, and one individual.

 

     Your Committees find that Hawaii has the highest rate per capita of homelessness of any state in the nation.  Addressing homelessness requires a multi-faceted approach using interventions targeted to the particular characteristics of the population being served.  A more strategic, coordinated outreach effort is needed to assertively serve the growing percentage of homeless persons who are not living in shelter programs.  Additionally, outreach is especially critical to help newly homeless youth navigate the social services system to find safe alternatives to homelessness, as youth service providers report that the number of homeless youth has been increasing each year.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Human Services and Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Health that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1214, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1214, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Judiciary and Labor and Ways and Means.

 

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

 

________________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair

 

________________________________

JOSH GREEN, Chair