Gov. David Ige signed three bills into law Friday that are intended to ease the housing crunch for Hawaii’s needy families and individuals.
Ige said the three new laws “can really help our community by making homes more affordable, helping to … reduce homelessness and … supporting those in need with additional resources.”
House Bill 2512 extends the ohana zones pilot program, which was set to end June 30, 2023, for three additional years.
The legislation called the program “thus far … effective at serving its intended purpose of providing housing and critical services to the state’s homeless population.”
The new law provides $15 million for the current fiscal year for “expenses relating to staffing, facility construction, provision of services and administrative costs.”
There’s also a provision that permits recipients of accommodations or services from an ohana zone site to request a 90-day extension of services.
The governor also signed HB 2233. The law authorizes the Department of Human Services to provide additional housing subsidies of up to $500 per month to participants of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and the state’s Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families program during the household’s participation in the First-To-Work program.
The First-to-Work program — which helps participants increase their employability through additional education or training — is a requirement for either assistance programs.
Both programs for needy families provide up to five years of assistance. However, according to the legislation, most families in Hawaii participate in the programs for about two years. The state program mirrors the federal program’s rules but is designed to assist Hawaii families with minor children who are ineligible for the federal program because of their citizenship.
The new law states that under existing rules for the First-to-Work program, participants may receive a maximum housing allowance equal to 60% of the household income. However, only a one-time payment which doesn’t exceed two months of rent is currently permitted.
“The Legislature finds that low-income residents participating in the First-to-Work program likely need assistance to meet their housing costs,” the legislation says.
Both assistance programs are funded by a $98 million block grant the state receives each year for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. According to the law, only about $41 million of that grant is encumbered, with the remaining $57 million placed in a reserve account held for the state by the federal government.
The third bill signed into law by Ige was Senate Bill 3048. The new law appropriates $300 million from the state’s general fund to be deposited into the rental housing revolving fund for fiscal year 2022-23. Up to $150 million of that appropriation can be used for mixed-income rental projects or units in mixed-income rental projects targeted for individuals and families with incomes between 60% and 100% of the median family income of the state.
It also provides for the hiring of two full-time housing finance specialist positions in the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, and appropriates almost $1.6 million for this current fiscal year for computer software and equipment.
All three laws went into effect with the governor’s signature.
Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
