STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1305-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: S.B. No. 2192

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2192, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to authorize a county to reduce the number of housing units that may be built within any geographical area of the county only if the county increases the number of units that may be built elsewhere in the county so that there is no net loss in overall residential capacity.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that the State faces a severe housing shortage, with the 2024 Hawaii Housing Planning Study projecting a need for more than 64,000 additional units by 2027. However, current production trajectories fall dramatically short of this need. Your Committee further finds that downzoning contributes to this shortage by reducing allowable density, disrupting development plans, and constraining future opportunities to build needed housing. This measure aims to help preserve total residential capacity and support long‑term housing production across the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Clarifying that a county's obligation to avoid a net loss in residential capacity applies to reductions in aggregate zoned residential capacity countywide, rather than to reductions in the number of housing units that may be built within specific geographic areas;

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, 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 S.B. No. 2192, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2192, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair