HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0722.010 2020-2022 I
nil 151
M,72
LD a
z
CATHOLIC CHARI"PIES HAWAII
TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF BILL 153, CHARTER AMENDMENT, County Housing
Program Revolving Fund
TO: County of Hawai'i, Holeka Goro Inaba, Chair&Members, Committee on
Finance
C
FROM: Rob Van Tassell, President and CEO, Catholic Charities Hawaii
Hearing: Wednesday,May 4,2022 at gam
Chair Holeka Goro Inaba, and Members, Committee on Finance:
Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of Bill 153, which would
appropriate one percent of the County's annual real property tax revenues into the Housing
Program Revolving Fund. I am Rob Van Tassell, with Catholic Charities Hawaii.
Catholic Charities Hawaii(CCH) is a tax exempt,non-profit agency that has been providing
social services in Hawaii for over 75 years. CCH serves over 40,000 people statewide each year
(80,000 during the height of the pandemic). CCH provides 11 different programs in the County
of Hawaii. These include counseling services, general immigration services, family
strengthening, disaster assistance and housing and utility assistance, etc. Our mission is to
provide services and advocacy for the most vulnerable in Hawaii.
CCH supports initiatives which will create affordable housing for the people of Hawaii
County. Approximately $4 million would go to the County's Housing Program Revolving Fund
is this bill passes. This is greatly needed. Hawaii County residents pay 61% of income for
housing and transportation. This is the highest in the State. 30.6%of residents pay over 30%of
their income for shelter costs. 13,300 housing units are needed by 2025 for County residents.
Action is needed now to help these struggling families and to prevent more homelessness.
Creating a permanent, steady and reliable stream of revenue to support the development of
affordable housing is key. This would enable the County and developers to actively work to
develop housing units. This tool would create the funding to make these units affordable.
We urge the County to invest in the critical need for affordable housing. Each year, our state
falls further behind in meeting the housing needs of our residents. People are moving out of the
state due to the high cost of living. This creative measure would help to build the rentals needed
to also built resiliency for the future, and bring hope to the families in Hawaii County.
Catholic Charities Hawaii urges your support to pass Bill 153.
Please contact our Director of Advocacy and Community Relations, Shellie Niles,
at(808) 527-4813, or sheltie.rile,s<ccatholicchariticshawaii.or�if you have any questions.
Comm. N�a,
Rei. To:
Pel UV,�e_ =
SI CLARENCE T. C. CHING CAMPUS • 1822 Ke`eaumoku Street, Honolulu, HI 96822
6
Phone {8os} 2 - i3 0 sheltie.nilesr`cr7catholiccharitieshativaii.or
Aloha knifed Way