Bill Text: HI HB1445 | 2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Homelessness.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 20-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-02-15 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Kobayashi, Oshiro excused (2). [HB1445 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-HB1445-Amended.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.B. NO. |
1445 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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A BILL FOR AN ACT
RELATING TO HOMELESSNESS.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
SECTION 1. Homelessness is an issue affecting numerous individuals throughout the country. To promote coordinated and systemic strategies to address the issues facing homeless individuals, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development requires state and local grant agencies and organizations to establish continuums of care, which are regional or local planning bodies that coordinate housing, services, and funding for homeless families and individuals. Nationwide, continuums of care and their member agencies receive significant federal funding, which is often critical to maintain necessary services. To remain eligible for federal funding, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development requires continuums of care to conduct an annual point-in-time count of homeless individuals who are in both sheltered and unsheltered environments on a single, given night. The point-in-time count, which is essentially a nationwide census of homeless individuals, is important because it aids the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development in determining the amount of federal funds given to each state's continuum of care agencies.
Point-in-time surveys are labor intensive and require large numbers of canvassers to make direct contact with individuals from a population that is inherently mobile and who may be present in locations that are hard to find and hard to access. The point-in-time count is conducted once a year, over the course of one week, and currently relies on canvassing by service providers who agree to donate their time outside of and in addition to their regular duties and community volunteers. Difficulty in recruiting adequate numbers of volunteers has made it difficult to obtain accurate information on homelessness in the State, which jeopardizes Hawaii's receipt of federal funds.
The legislature finds that offering a stipend to volunteers who assist with the point-in-time count will help ensure that the count is conducted appropriately to produce accurate results as required for continued eligibility for federal funding.
SECTION 2. Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:
"§346- Point-in-time counts; volunteers; stipend. (a) Any continuum of care that conducts a point-in-time count as a condition of receiving federal homeless assistance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development may offer a stipend of $ to each volunteer who assists with the conduct of the point-in-time count.
(b) For the purposes of this section:
"Continuum of care" means the regional or local planning body that coordinates housing, services, and funding for homeless families and individuals.
"Point-in-time counts" means the annual count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless individuals and families conducted by a continuum of care as a condition of eligibility for continued funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development."
SECTION 3. New statutory material is underscored.
SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2075.
Report Title:
Homelessness; Point-in Time Counts; Volunteer Stipend
Description:
Authorizes any continuum of care to offer a stipend to volunteers assisting in the point-in-time count conducted annually to determine the number of homeless individuals in the State, as a condition of receiving federal homeless assistance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. (HB1445 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
