Bill Text: HI HB734 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended

---

Bill Title: Housing First Program Rental Assistance Payments; Homelessness

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2015-03-27 - Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to WAM. [HB734 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-HB734-Amended.html

---

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	734
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		H.D. 1
STATE OF HAWAII		S.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO HOUSING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 201H-122, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read as follows:

     ""Housing first program rental assistance payments" means periodic rental assistance payments pursuant to a housing first rental assistance contract expressly for units in an eligible project that provides housing for chronically homeless individuals participating in housing first programs as set forth in section 346-378."

     SECTION 2.  Section 201H-123, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (c) to read as follows:

     "(c)  The corporation may use, as needed, the aggregate principal sum and the accumulated earnings in the rental assistance revolving fund to make payments under rental assistance contracts or to subsidize tenants' rents in eligible projects developed under this part; provided that [the]:

     (1)  The corporation shall use up to $25,000,000 plus any bond proceeds to provide interim construction financing to:

     [(1)] (A)  Qualified sponsors who are private nonprofit or for-profit entities; or

     [(2)] (B)  The corporation, for the development of affordable rental housing; and

     (2)  Housing first program rental assistance payments may be made from sums made available from the department of human services pursuant to section 346-378;

provided further that the corporation, in allotting interim construction financing moneys pursuant to this subpart, shall give preference to rental housing projects developed by qualified sponsors who are private nonprofit or for-profit entities."

     SECTION 3.  Section 346-378, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

     1.  By amending subsections (b) and (c) to read:

     "(b)  The principles of housing first include:

     (1)  Moving chronically homeless individuals into housing directly from streets and shelters, without a precondition of accepting or complying with treatment; provided that the department may condition continued tenancy through a housing first program on participation in treatment services;

     (2)  Providing robust support services for program participants, predicated on assertive engagement instead of 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.

     The department of human services may contract with housing first consultants and the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation to effectuate the purposes of this section.

     (c)  Housing first programs shall incorporate the following:

     (1)  Identification of target populations, specifically chronically homeless individuals;

     (2)  Developing assessments for the chronically homeless population;

     (3)  Developing service components, including:

         (A)  Financial assistance;

         (B)  In-home case management services;

         (C)  Affordable housing requirements;

         (D)  Landlord cultivation;

         (E)  Housing-placement requirements; and

         (F)  Support services to move program-participants toward self-sufficiency[.];

provided that housing first programs may incorporate housing first program rental assistance payments pursuant to chapter 201H, part III, subpart C."

     2.  By amending subsection (e) to read:

     "(e)  As used in this section, "chronically homeless individual" means [a homeless individual who has an addiction or a mental illness, or both.] an individual who has experienced homelessness for one year or longer, or who has experienced at least four episodes of homelessness in the last three years and has a disability."

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

 

 

Report Title:

Housing First Program Rental Assistance Payments; Homelessness

 

Description:

Defines "housing first program rental assistance payments".  Allows HHFDC to make housing first program rental assistance payments from sums made available from DHS through the housing first program.  Defines "chronically homeless individual".  Effective 7/1/2050.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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