STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2405

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 3176

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 3176 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate funds to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to rehabilitate, remodel, renovate, and repair housing units.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi.

Your Committee received comments on this measure from one individual.

Your Committee finds that the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) provides the State's residents with safe, decent, and affordable housing through its public housing and rental assistance programs. Many of the residents served by HPHA are among the State's most vulnerable populations, including families earning less than thirty percent of the area median income, persons with disabilities, and elderly residents.

However, many HPHA properties were constructed more than fifty years ago, necessitating additional investment in repairs and rehabilitation to ensure these properties remain safe, sanitary, and code compliant. Because of the age and condition of these properties, HPHA faces an estimated capital needs backlog of approximately $825,000,000. While HPHA has made progress renovating and returning these older units to use, many remain vacant. Additionally, this measure appropriates funds essential to the repair and rehabilitation of units, but limited exterior repairs are also sometimes necessary to support rehabilitation, safe access, and readiness for occupancy.

Therefore, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Expanding the purpose of the appropriated funds to include exterior repairs;

(2) Inserting a blank appropriation amount; and

(3) Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

Your Committee notes that this measure, as amended, contains an unspecified appropriation amount, should your Committee on Ways and Means choose to deliberate on this measure, your Committee respectfully requests that it consider inserting an appropriation amount of $11,242,000 for the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to renovate one hundred fifty-four vacant federal and state public housing units.

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. 3176, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3176, 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,

________________________________

STANLEY CHANG, Chair