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DAVID Y. IGE
GOVERNOR
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EXECUTIVE CHAMBERS
HONOLULU
WRITTEN TESTIMONY L
June 15, 2022
TO: The Honorable Councilmember Maile David, Chair
Hawaii County Council
FROM: Scott Morishige, MSW, Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness
SUBJECT: Bill 160, Draft 1
Hearing: Wednesday,June 15, 2022, 9:00 a.m.
POSITION: The Governor's Coordinator on Homelessness supports this measure.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this bill is to appropriate at least$5,000,000 annually to the
Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development for affordable housing
production, with any remaining balance at the end of each fiscal year remaining dedicated for
this stated purpose.The bill also includes a severability clause.
This bill complements County Ordinance 22-26 that was recently passed by the Council,
which provides a designated revenue stream for homeless and housing programs through June
30, 2027. According to the 2022 Point In Time Count data there are 837 individuals in Hawaii
County who are experiencing homelessness, both sheltered and unsheltered. Ordinance 22-26
demonstrates the commitment that the Council has toward our households experiencing
homelessness. While funding for homeless services is needed, residents also need more
housing that they can afford.
Rapidly rising rents are pushing more local residents into precarious housing situations,
with many people who have never experienced homelessness before now potentially being at-
risk.,Data from Apart. ent List on median rent prices for the State of Hawaii shows that from
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the beginning of 2021, median rent costs have risen at a quicker rate than they did in the
previous four years.
Many vulnerable populations who are housed face increased cost burdens with a
limited housing supply. For example, our elderly neighbors, who often live on fixed incomes,
may now face further risk of housing instability and homelessness. According to a 2021 report
from the Hawaii State Deoartment of Business Economic Development,and Tourism,just over
30%of all of Hawaii's elderly renters are severely cost-burdened, meaning that they pay over
half of their income on housing costs.The report also shows that while the poverty rate among
all elders in Hawaii aged 65 years and older is 8.1%, poverty rates for our elderly renters is over
20%.
The Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) population is another group
struggling to get by with the high costs of housing. Data from Aloha united Way indicates that
nearly half of Hawaii County's population falls below the ALICE threshold, meaning these
households are barely making ends meet each month. Like many other vulnerable groups
including our elderly population, one emergency could throw these households into housing
insecurity and homelessness.
Creating and maintaining more housing stock that is truly affordable can reduce the
burdens on our residents and can help facilitate the goal of reducing homelessness to net zero
on Hawaii Island.The dedication of at least$5 million each year by the County may enable
greater state and federal fund leveraging to create even more affordable housing. Having
additional County funds for the production of affordable housing would greatly help to propel
many Hawaii County residents forward instead of having to constantly be burdened by high
housing costs.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify on this measure.
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