Senate committees pass resolutions urging housing-ladder program, recommend unamended passage

Senators moved to pass SCR 160 and SR 151, measures urging the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, the Department of Human Services homeless programs office, and the Hawaii Housing Finance & Development Corporation to work on a housing-ladder program to help families graduate into unsubsidized housing. "Chair's recommendation for SCR 160 and SR 151 will be to pass this measure unamended," Senator Chang said during decision-making.

Agency witnesses told the committee they already collaborate on transitions from homelessness into public housing and Section 8 but cautioned that no single program will serve everyone. Ben Park of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority said the authority will bring the resolution back to its directors to work on implementation details. A committee member pressed that the housing-ladder effort be coordinated with a separate bill that requires an explicit plan to reduce statewide homelessness by 25 percent; agency representatives said they would incorporate that goal where feasible. The committee adopted the chairs' recommendation and recorded the recommendation as adopted.