Section 15-24-15 - Relocation assistance programs(a) Any governmental agency which displaces any person shall prepare a relocation program. Planning for relocation programs shall be accomplished in stages: (1) Until the time that the final project is approved, the tenant shall not be disturbed in any way. Prior to the completion of this stage, the displacing governmental agency shall make preliminary investigations which will furnish the following information for the project location given final consideration: (A) Approximate number of individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit organizations that would be displaced;(B) The probable availability of comparable replacement housing within the financial means of those displaced; and(C) The basis upon which the above findings were made.(2) The displacing governmental agency, prior to proceeding with acquisition negotiations or construction, shall furnish the following information for the authority's review and approval: (A) The methods and procedures by which the needs of every individual to be displaced shall be evaluated and correlated with available decent, safe, and sanitary housing at reasonable rents or prices and readily accessible to the displaced person's place of employment;(B) The methods and procedures by which the displacing governmental agency will assure an inventory of currently available comparable housing which is decent, safe and sanitary, including type of building, state of repair, number of rooms, needs of the person or family being displaced, type of neighborhood, proximity of public transportation and commercial shopping areas, and distance to any pertinent social institutions, such as church and community facilities; and(C) An analysis relating to the characteristics of the inventories so as to develop a relocation plan which shall: (i) Outline the various relocation problems disclosed by the above survey;(ii) Provide an analysis of federal, state and community programs affecting the availability of housing currently in operation in the project area;(iii) Provide detailed information on concurrent displacement and relocation by other governmental agencies or private concerns;(iv) Provide an analysis of the problems involved and the method of operation to resolve problems and relocate the relocatees;(v) Estimate the amount of lead time required and demonstrate its adequacy to carry out a timely, orderly and humane relocation program; and(vi) Assure no person lawfully occupying real property shall be required to move without at least ninety days written notice.(b) The displacing governmental agency shall, in developing relocation assistance programs, consult with the persons to be displaced in order to insure that the programs are realistic and effective.(c) Each relocation assistance program shall be reviewed and approved by the authority prior to any displacement.(d) Where a displacing governmental agency other than the authority elects to have the relocation payments and services required by this chapter administered by the authority, the agency shall enter into a written contract or agreement to that effect with the authority. The contract or agreement shall be subject to the approval of the authority. The contract shall also provide that the records required by § 15-24-14 will be turned over to the authority.(e) Any agency administering a relocation program in accordance with this chapter shall assure that: (1) Each project shall have assigned to it one or more individuals whose responsibility is to provide relocation assistance;(2) A relocation office will be established which is reasonably convenient to public transportation and within the district. The office shall be open during normal working hours;(3) Reasonable efforts shall be made to personally contact each person to be displaced to explain the relocation payments and assistance which are available and to assist in completing any applications required. If the contact is not made, the administering agency shall furnish documentation to show what efforts were expended to achieve this contact;(4) Relocation personnel shall maintain personal contact and exchange information with other agencies rendering services useful to displaced persons. These agencies include social welfare agencies, urban renewal agencies, redevelopment authorities, public housing authorities, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Veterans Administration (VA) and Small Business Administration (SBA). Personal contact shall also be maintained with local sources of information on private replacement properties, including real estate brokers, real estate boards, property managers, apartment owners and operators, and home building contractors. Subscriptions may be maintained for multiple listing services, apartment directory services, and neighborhood and metropolitan newspapers; and(5) The relocation office shall maintain and provide: (A) A list of replacement dwellings and business locations from various sources suitable in price, size and condition for displaced persons;(B) Current data for costs such as security deposits for utilities, damages, and leases, closing costs, typical down payments, and interest rates and terms;(C) Maps showing the location of schools, parks, playgrounds, shopping and public transportation routes in the area;(D) Schedules and costs of public transportation; and(E) Copies of local ordinances pertaining to housing, building codes, and open housing; FHA and VA booklets of information on inspecting and evaluating replacement housing and consumer education literature on housing, shelter costs and family budgeting.[Eff 2/11/91] (Auth: HRS §§ 206E-4, 206E-10.5) (Imp: HRS §§ 206E-4, 206E-10.5)
§ 15-24-15 is based substantially upon § 15-18-20. [Eff 9/22/84; R 2/11/91]