STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1482

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: S.B. No. 139

S.D. 2

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Housing and Water & Land, to which was referred S.B. No. 139, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT HOUSING LANDS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require and appropriate funds for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to conduct a study identifying certain state-owned lands located within a one-half mile radius of any rail mass transit station that are most suitable for constructing at least one hundred thousand housing units.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawai‘i YIMBY, and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Your Committees find that the State faces an affordable housing crisis so severe that residents are moving outside the State to search for housing that is affordable. Those who remain in Hawaii often find themselves living paycheck to paycheck just to cover the cost of housing, leaving them with barely any expendable income for other necessities. With the introduction of the Honolulu rail transit system, your Committees believe that the State has an opportunity to efficiently use state-owned lands to provide affordable housing to residents, thereby keeping families in Hawaii.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Including lands owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs in the study of certain state-owned lands;

(2) Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Water & Land that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 139, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 139, S.D. 2, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Water & Land,

____________________________ LINDA ICHIYAMA, Chair

____________________________ TROY N. HASHIMOTO, Chair