HI HB2318

Establishes the Housing First Special Fund in the state treasury to be funded by legislative appropriations, gifts, donations, grants from public agencies and private persons, and matching funds from counties.

Requires the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to implement Housing First programs and services in collaboration with the Department of Human Services, targeting chronically homeless individuals with addictions and/or mental illnesses.

Housing First programs must move chronically homeless individuals directly into housing without preconditions for treatment, provide robust support services, prioritize chronically homeless participants, embrace harm-reduction approaches to addictions, and provide leases with full tenant protections.

Program implementation must include financial assistance, in-home case management, affordable housing requirements, landlord cultivation, and support services to help participants move toward self-sufficiency.

Hawaii Public Housing Authority must submit annual reports to the legislature beginning in 2011 detailing participant numbers, program costs, types of support services offered, and duration of services required per participant.