STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2144

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2833

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2833 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to establish a project management III position within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to aid in the development of affordable housing options in the State.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development and the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation is the primary agency charged with overseeing the development of affordable housing in the State. Your Committee also finds that development of temporary and permanent affordable housing on Maui, administration of infrastructure loans for Maui, development of a leasehold project at the University of Hawaii West Oahu, and infrastructure and project coordination to implement the Mahelona Transit-Oriented Development Master Plan on Kauai are projects that require additional HHFDC resources. This measure aims to resolve these issues through the establishment of a project management III position within HHFDC.

According to the testimony of HHFDC received by your Committee at the public hearing on this measure, HHFDC may require additional positions, including a financial specialist and compliance specialist. Your Committee notes HHFDC's need for further personnel planning and finds that these issues merit further consideration. Your Committee respectfully requests that these issues be examined further, should subsequent Committees choose to hear this measure as it advances through the legislative process.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying the position title as "project manager III"; and

(2) Inserting an appropriation amount of $213,785 for the establishment of one (1.0 FTE) project manager III position; provided that this amount shall represent an annual salary of $130,000 plus fringe benefits.

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 S.B. No. 2833, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2833, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair