STAND. COM. REP. NO.  118

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2021

 

RE:   H.B. No. 502

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 502 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RURAL DISTRICTS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to enable greater opportunities to provide for housing in the State by allowing the counties to adopt ordinances that allow for increased dwelling density in certain rural districts.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Association of REALTORS.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Agriculture and Office of Planning.

 

     Your Committee finds that the State needs up to forty-six thousand housing units to meet demand by 2030.  This measure allows the counties to adopt an ordinance to allow dwellings on each quarter-acre in rural districts, which will provide flexibility to the counties to address the State's housing shortage.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Specifying that any ordinance allowing one dwelling unit on each quarter-acre of land in the rural district shall ensure that each such dwelling be consistent with the applicable county general plan and community development plan;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 502, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 502, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair