HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	699
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017
STATE OF HAWAII

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 housing first programs are a collaborative effort between the department of human services and the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development that provides housing and support services 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 streets and the 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 program participant commitments to recovery; and

     (5)  Providing program participants with leases and tenant protections as provided by law.

     Housing first is a nationally recognized best practice and has been proven to be an effective approach to helping people experiencing chronic homelessness get off of the streets in several cities.  In Portland, Oregon, the housing first program helped reduce the number of chronically homeless people sleeping outside by seventy per cent.  In Los Angeles, California, for each chronically homeless person placed in housing first, Los Angeles saved $80,000 over two years.  Similar results in Salt Lake City, Utah; Denver, Colorado; Quincy, Massachusetts; and Portland, Maine; show that housing first is effective in reducing chronic homelessness.  Currently, the housing first program only serves the island of Oahu, despite the needs of individuals on neighboring islands.

     The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to the department of human services to support the State's housing first programs in assisting the rest of Hawaii's residents outside of Oahu who are chronically homeless and who are often the most vulnerable and most difficult to serve.

     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 continued implementation of the State's housing first program and expansion of the program outside of Oahu to assist residents who are chronically homeless.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 3.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2017.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Housing First; Department of Human Services; Appropriation

 

Description:

Appropriates funds to the department of human services to continue to administer the housing first program, and to expand the housing first program outside of Oahu, for chronically homeless individuals.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.