HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0671.012 2004-2006 _ ~,I~ti3y,
Harry Kim ~°t Edwin S. Taira
Maya : Housi~tgAdministrator
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OFFICE OF IIOiISING AND
COlVI10'IiJNITY DEVELOPIVIEN'T
50 Wailuku Drive • Hilo, Hawaii 96720-2456
V/TT (808) 961-8379 • FAX (808) 961-8685
April 10, 2006 T
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TO: Virginia Isbell, Chair
and Members, Committee on Finance
FROM: Edwin S. Taira ~A
Housing Administrator
SUBJECT: Bill 214
General Fund - Fund Balance Appropriation
Account 010.501.5801.32 Transfer to Housing Fund
$170,000
The Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) offers the
following justification for the proposed appropriations, and what
the money will be used for:
Kawaihae Transitional Shelter Prograaet $123,00.
The Kawaihae Shelter was built with County and private donations.
The land was licensed from the Queen Emma Foundation for three
years. -The County was supposed to move the huts when a more
permanent site was found. The County was never able to find
suitable site either because the proposed sites lacked the proper
infrastructure, or we encountered serious community opposition.
Since that time, the shelter operator, Catholic Charities, has
had difficulty finding funds to repair and operate the shelter,
mainly because potential donors do not want to contribute funds
for a temporary facility.
Catholic Charities met with the administration and indicated that
they were going to close the shelter at the end of 2005. The
administration asked them to hold off closing for two years if we
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EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY
"HAWAI'I COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
PROVIDER AND EMPLOYER"
Virginia Isbell, Chair,
and Members
Page 2
April 10, 2006
could find operating and renovation funds. The idea is to keep
the Kawaihae Shelter open until we can build new facilities in
Kona. Catholic Charities has agreed.
The OHCD did an assessment of the facilities and an initial cost
estimate on the cost of repairs.
The OHCD has also included $123,000 in our FY06/07 operating
budget to provide operating funding.
Hawaii Island Workforce Development Ohana Program $68,000
The Hawaii County Workforce Investment Board created a new non-
profit, the Hawaii Island Workforce Economic Development Ohana
(HIWEDO) to try to fill in the gaps, and to work with existing
economic development entities and workforce development, youth
training and other programs. The HIWEDO will also be able to
seek alternate funding sources for fund programs that go beyond
the Workforce Investment Act.
The County funds sought are intended to be used as seed money to
get the HIWEDO off the ground. The County funds are not meant to
be the entire operating budget for the HIWEDO. The County funds
could also be used as a match to obtain Federal, State and
private grants.
The OHCD has included $68,000 in our FY06/07 operating budget to
provide funding until the June 30, 2007.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments.
c: Harry Kim, Mayor
Macy Hiqa, Chair, Hawaii County Council
William Takaba, Director of Finance