Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority Proposes Reduction in Storage Time for Evicted Tenants’ Belongings
The Hawaiʻi Public Housing Authority (HPHA) is advancing legislation aimed at significantly shortening the period for which it must store belongings left behind by evicted tenants. Under House Bill 1097, part of Governor Josh Green’s legislative agenda, the authority would be permitted to dispose of unclaimed personal items after just 14 days, a substantial decrease from the current requirement of 30 days.
This proposed change is scheduled for discussion in the Senate Housing Committee on March 18, 2025, and aims to address several pressing issues faced by the HPHA. Executive Director Hakim Ouansafi, in testimony supporting the bill, articulated that the current storage requirements hinder the authority’s ability to prepare units for new tenants promptly. He underscored that many of the belongings left behind are often not valuable and consist primarily of discarded items such as broken furniture and trash. “From years of experience, we have found that the vast majority of items left behind are not valuable personal belongings,” Ouansafi stated, emphasizing the need for quicker turnover of housing units.
HPHA’s argument is also grounded in its ongoing challenges with limited storage space. When belongings are left in vacated units, it complicates maintenance and repairs, further delaying the ability to house new families in need. “Every day a unit remains vacant is another day a family remains unhoused,” Ouansafi noted, highlighting the urgency of the issue.
However, reactions from the community reflect growing concerns regarding the proposed reduction in storage time. Longtime resident Lenda Tominiko of Kūhiō Park Terrace expressed that a 14-day window may be insufficient for individuals facing displacement, remarking, “Sometimes when people are evicted, they panic and they leave everything behind. They don’t know where they’re going to take their things.” This perspective shines light on the human aspect of eviction proceedings and the difficult circumstances many families face.
The HPHA currently provides housing to approximately 5,200 low-income families, which amounts to roughly 13,000 individuals across various federal and state housing programs. According to its 2024 annual report, only 22 families were evicted statewide from public housing between July 2023 and July 2024, indicating that while evictions may be relatively low, the implications for each affected household are profound.
As the Senate Housing Committee deliberates on this bill, the challenge remains to balance the necessity for efficient housing administration with compassion and understanding for the vulnerable populations affected by eviction. The HPHA has yet to respond to media inquiries regarding the potential impacts of this change and the broader context of housing stability in Hawaiʻi.
This ongoing discussion reflects broader trends in housing policy across the United States, where the intersection of housing availability, administrative efficiency, and tenant rights continues to provoke debate and concern among advocates and policymakers alike.
