STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3105

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                   

 

RE:     H.B. No. 2357

        H.D. 2

        S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2357, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to create an eviction process for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's state low-income housing projects and elder or elderly housing.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Oahu County Commission on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee finds that Act 114, Session Laws of Hawaii 2017 (Act 114), exempted state low-income housing directly controlled, owned, or managed by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority from the requirements of the residential landlord-tenant code under chapter 521, Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Act 114 was the first step in creating a uniform eviction process for state and federal low-income public housing to ensure all tenants receive the same due process rights regardless of the property on which they reside.  This measure streamlines the eviction process for all of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's state and federal low-income public housing programs and lessens the caseload of the Judiciary and the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Changing the new part added to chapter 356D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to a subpart in part III of chapter 356D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to state low-income housing;

 

     (2)  Replacing references to "resident" or "person" with "tenant", as the context requires, as "tenant" is defined in the new subpart in part III of chapter 356D, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2357, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2357, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

 

 

 

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair