Bill Text: HI SB2570 | 2016 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Rapid Re-Housing Assistance Program; Appropriation ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-04-27 - Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-28-16 10:00AM in conference room 229. [SB2570 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2016-SB2570-Amended.html

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THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2570
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2016		S.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII		H.D. 1

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO THE RAPID RE-HOUSING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

 

 

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

 

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to statutorily establish the rapid re-housing assistance program.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 346, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part XVII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§346-A  Rapid re-housing assistance program.  (a)  Subject to the availability of legislative appropriations, federal grants, or both, the department shall establish and operate a rapid re-housing assistance program.

     The purpose of the program shall be to help homeless families or individuals move as quickly as possible into permanent housing and achieve stability in that housing.

     (b)  The rapid re-housing assistance program shall be designed and operated by the department to qualify for federal emergency shelter grants; provided that this provision shall not be construed as prohibiting the use of other federal grants for the program if allowable under federal law and regulations.

     (c)  As part of the rapid re-housing assistance program, the department may provide housing relocation and stabilization services and short- and medium-term rental assistance.

     (d)  The authority shall include information and data about the rapid re-housing assistance program in its annual reports required under section 356D-20.

     (e)  As used in this section:

     "Housing relocation and stabilization services" includes the following:

(1)  Financial assistance, including payment to housing owners, utility companies, or other third parties on behalf of homeless families or individuals, for the following costs:

(A)  Rental application fees;

(B)  Security deposits;

(C)  Last month's rent;

(D)  Utility deposits;

(E)  Utility payments; and

(F)  Moving costs;

(2)  Providing or making payment for the following services:

(A)  Housing search and placement to help homeless families or individuals locate, obtain, and retain suitable permanent housing;

(B)  Housing stability case management to:

              (i)  Help homeless families or individuals overcome immediate barriers to obtaining permanent housing; or

             (ii)  Facilitate housing stability for homeless families or individuals who currently reside in permanent housing;

(C)  Mediation between families or individuals and other persons to prevent the families or individuals from losing permanent housing in which they currently reside;

(D)  Legal services to:

              (i)  Help homeless families or individuals obtain permanent housing; or

             (ii)  Prevent families or individuals from losing permanent housing in which they currently reside; and

(E)  Credit counseling and services to help homeless families or individuals acquire skills needed for household budgeting, managing money, accessing free personal credit reports, and resolving credit problems.

     "Short- and medium-term rental assistance" includes the following:

     (1)  Short-term rental assistance, under which rental payments on behalf of homeless families or individuals are made for a maximum of three months;

     (2)  Medium-term rental assistance, under which rental payments on behalf of homeless families or individuals are made for at least three, but not more than twenty-four months; and

     (3)  Rental arrears payment consisting of a one-time payment on behalf of homeless families or individuals for up to six months of rent in arrears, including any late fees on the arrears.

     (f)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to implement the rapid re-housing assistance program.  The rules may clarify the types of services and assistance that may be provided as housing relocation and stabilization services or short- and medium-term rental assistance."

     SECTION 3.  Section 346-361, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending the definition of "homeless" to read as follows:

     ""Homeless" or "homeless families or individuals" means:

     (1)  An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate night-time residence; [or]

     (2)  An individual or family who has a primary night-time residence that is:

         (A)  A supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to provide temporary living accommodations;

         (B)  An institution that provides temporary residence for individuals intended to be institutionalized; or

         (C)  A public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as sleeping accommodations for human beings[.]; or

     (3)  An individual or family who currently resides in permanent housing as participants in the rapid re-housing assistance program, but who was formerly homeless.

This term does not include any individual imprisoned or otherwise detained under an act of Congress or a state law."

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $         or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016-2017 for the establishment and operation of the rapid re-housing assistance program, including the employment of      full-time equivalent (     FTE) program specialists for the program.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the department of human services for the purposes of this Act; provided that the department of human services shall commence planning the rapid re-housing assistance program upon the effective date of this section to ensure that the program may be implemented beginning January 1, 2017.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on January 1, 2017; provided that section 4 shall take effect on July 1, 2016.

Report Title:

Rapid Re-Housing Assistance Program; Appropriation

 

Description:

Requires the Department of Human Services to establish a rapid re-housing assistance program to move homeless families or individuals into permanent housing as quickly as possible and achieve stability in that housing.  Requires the program to be designed and operated to qualify for federal emergency shelter grants.  Expands the definition of "homeless" as applied to the Department's homeless programs.  Appropriates general funds for fiscal year 2016-17.  (SB2570 HD1)

 

 

 

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