Bill Text: HI HB1196 | 2018 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating To Housing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 13-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-17 - Re-referred to HSG/HHS, FIN, referral sheet 2 [HB1196 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2018-HB1196-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1196 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to Housing.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. The legislature finds that Hawaii has the highest per capita rate of homelessness of any state in the nation. Hawaii also has the highest rate of chronically unsheltered homeless per capita of any state. An estimated 7,921 people are living on the streets and in shelters in Hawaii. Addressing homelessness requires a multi-faceted approach using interventions that are targeted to the particular characteristics of the population being served. Three programs critically necessary to address homelessness in Hawaii are housing first, rapid re-housing, and the state rent supplement for homeless families and individuals.
Housing first programs are proven to be effective in addressing homelessness for chronically homeless individuals, including those who have an addiction or mental illness, or both. The principles of housing first programs include:
(1) Moving chronically homeless individuals into housing directly from the streets and shelters without a precondition of accepting or complying with treatment;
(2) Providing robust support services for program participants that are predicated on assertive engagement rather than coercion;
(3) Granting chronically homeless individuals priority as program participants in housing first programs;
(4) Embracing a harm-reduction approach to addictions rather than mandating abstinence while supporting each program participant's commitment to recovery; and
(5) Providing program participants with leases and tenant protections as provided by law.
While housing first programs are relatively costly, they are cost-effective. Providing housing and services under the housing first program is less costly than providing the services necessary for unhoused, chronically homeless persons, such as emergency services.
The rapid re-housing and state rent supplement programs are proven to be effective in securing and maintaining housing for working individuals, senior or disabled individuals, and families who are homeless. A significant segment of homeless people have a stable source of income and need only modest financial help and some "housing stabilization" services rather than full-scale subsidies and intensive, ongoing case management. More than a quarter of Hawaii households fall into homelessness simply because they are short of money to pay their rent; these households otherwise have no other underlying issues. For these individuals and families, small subsidies allow them to more rapidly secure housing and move out of shelters into permanent housing.
Rapid re-housing provides struggling households with a financial "shot in the arm"; that is, often a one-time payment to cover delinquent rent, utility payments, or first month's rent and security deposit. Short term intervention is often all many families need to avoid homelessness, or to quickly bounce back from becoming homeless.
The state rent supplement program provides a "shallow", but sustained, subsidy to struggling households. Unlike the "deep" subsidy Housing Choice Voucher program, better known as the Section 8 program, which helps families at the lowest ends of the income scale by bridging a wide affordability gap between income and housing costs, the state rent supplement program helps households who are closer to financial self-sufficiency but still have a narrow affordability gap to fill. The state rent supplement program provides an ongoing subsidy, enabling homeless households or those at imminent risk of homelessness to close the affordability gap, maintain housing, and achieve self-sufficiency. Households would pay a minimum of thirty percent of their income for rent, and the rental subsidy would be capped at $500 per month.
Because individual subsidies under the rapid re-housing and state rent supplement programs are relatively low, the programs can resolve homelessness for a large number of individuals and families relative to the total cost of the subsidy program.
The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to support the State's housing first programs in assisting Hawaii's chronically homeless who are often the most vulnerable, most visible, and most difficult to serve. This Act also appropriates funds to support rapid re-housing and the state rent supplement program.
SECTION 2. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $3,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the department of human services to continue to administer housing first programs for chronically homeless individuals in the State.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the rapid re-housing program to:
(1) Assist homeless individuals or families in obtaining or maintaining permanent housing;
(2) Assist individuals and families who require financial assistance to avoid homelessness; and
(3) Cover housing stabilization services and administrative costs to operate the program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $7,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2018-2019 for the state rent supplement program to:
(1) Assist homeless individuals and families or those at imminent risk of homelessness to obtain and maintain permanent housing;
(2) Cover housing stabilization services; and
(3) Cover administrative and personnel costs to operate the program.
The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii public housing authority for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 5. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.
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INTRODUCED BY: |
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Report Title:
Housing; Homelessness; Housing First; Rapid Rehousing; State Rent Supplement Program; Appropriations
Description:
Appropriates funds to DHS for the housing first program and the rapid re-housing program to assist chronically homeless individuals and individuals who require financial assistance to avoid homelessness. Appropriates funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority for the state rent supplement program to assist homeless individuals or families and those at imminent risk of homelessness.
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
