STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1659
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2023
RE: H.R. No. 11
H.D. 1
Honorable Scott K. Saiki
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Second State Legislature
Regular Session of 2023
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.R. No. 11 entitled:
"HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO LOWER AFFORDABLE UNIT INCOME ELIGIBILITY THRESHOLDS AND TO STUDY INCREASING THE MINIMUM PERCENTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS REQUIRED IN HOUSING PROJECTS AND CAPPING ALLOWABLE ZONING EXEMPTIONS FOR THOSE PROJECTS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to request the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to:
(1) Lower affordable unit income eligibility thresholds; and
(2) Study increasing the minimum percentage of affordable housing units required in housing projects and cap allowable zoning exemptions for those projects.
Your Committee finds that state law authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to develop affordable housing projects that are exempt from all statutes, ordinances, charter provisions, and rules relating to various planning, zoning, and construction standards under certain conditions. The affordable housing programs under the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation have income requirements and require a certain percentage of units to be affordable. Your Committee notes that the City and County of Honolulu requires at least fifty-one percent of the units in projects with more than thirty units to be set at rents or sale prices at amounts affordable for low- and moderate-income households that meet specific area median income requirements. Your Committee believes there is merit in studying the viability of increasing the minimum percentage of units in a project that must be set aside for certain households in order to qualify for an exemption under chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
Your Committee has amended this measure by:
(1) Deleting language that would have requested the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to:
(A) Lower the maximum income levels to qualify for affordable rentals under the Corporation's affordable housing programs to reflect qualifications that mirror those of the City and County of Honolulu; and
(B) Study the viability of developing a mechanism to cap or limit the number of exemptions an eligible project under the Corporation's affordable housing programs may be granted through zoning;
(2) Amending its title in accordance with its amended purpose; 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 concurs with the intent and purpose of H.R. No. 11, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as H.R. No. 11, H.D. 1.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,
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____________________________ TROY N. HASHIMOTO, Chair |
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