H.B. 1440 Summary

• Establishes a homelessness fund in the Department of Human Services to receive revenues from homeless facility operations and a designated percentage of conveyance tax collections for homeless programs and facilities.

• Increases Hawaii's conveyance tax rates by 5 cents per $100 on all real property transactions and directs additional revenues to experimental housing projects and homeless facilities administered by the state.

• Creates community shelter commissions in each county composed of state, county, clergy, real estate, social services, and business representatives with exclusive authority to select public property for homeless facilities and shelters.

• Establishes a civil rights board with nine members having backgrounds in homelessness, mental health, substance abuse, human services, or criminal justice to oversee protections and services for homeless individuals.

• Creates a state-funded public service employment program administered by the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations to provide subsidized jobs and training subsidies for unemployed persons, with priority given to long-term unemployed individuals and public assistance recipients.

• Requires a survey of vacant state-owned housing units for affordable rental housing conversion and mandates a homeless summit to gather international expertise on homelessness strategies.

• Establishes a working group for the Next Step Shelter to solicit donations, coordinate vocational training, and identify barriers to housing program participation for shelter residents.