STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3100

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.C.R. No. 120

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 120, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY'S PLAN TO IMPLEMENT THE TENANT MONITOR PROGRAM,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to express support for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority's plan to implement the tenant monitor program.

 

     Additionally, this measure requests the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to:

 

(1)  Provide either free rent or partial rental assistance to resident managers under the tenant monitor program; and

 

(2)  Submit a report to the Legislature on the status of the tenant monitor program with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

 

     Written comments in support of the concurrent resolution were submitted by the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.  The written comments may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority is contemplating implementing a tenant monitor program, under which resident managers are designated as points of contact to be immediately available for emergency situations when property management is unavailable.  The resident managers would be authorized to allow police to enter property, direct police to appropriate units of sections of the housing projects, and confirm whether individuals reside on the property.

 

     Recent violence between residents of two housing projects has resulted in a curfew for certain projects.  Concern for the safety of housing projects makes this concurrent resolution even more significant.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

(1)  Changing its title to "Requesting the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to Improve the Safety of the Residents of its Housing Projects and Expressing Support for the Authority's Plan to Implement the Tenant Monitor Program";

 

(2)  Adding language relating to recent violence in public housing projects that expresses support for residents' safety and clarifying the need for a Tenant Monitor Program;

 

(3)  Directing rather than encouraging, the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to provide free or reduced rent to the designated resident manager;

 

(4)  Requesting that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority adopt administrative rules or recommend legislation to ban the possession of any open liquor container on any sidewalk or common area of a public housing project under its jurisdiction and to provide greater oversight on non-residents on public housing project premises; and

 

(5)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 120, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 120, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

		____________________________ DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair