STAND. COM. REP. NO. 285

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1146

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2017

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Housing and Education, to which was referred S.B. No. 1146 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO SCHOOL IMPACT FEES,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to exempt new housing units within a one mile radius of the Honolulu rail transit line that are reserved for persons or families with incomes up to eighty percent of the area median income from school impact fee requirements.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Department of Planning and Permitting for the City and County of Honolulu, and Hui for Excellence in Education.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Building Industry Association of Hawaii.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Planning, and IMUAlliance.

 

     Your Committees find that a shortage of affordable housing exists in Hawaii.  School impact fees can significantly raise the cost of new housing development projects.  Your Committees further find that providing an exemption for housing developments near the Honolulu rail transit line for persons or families with incomes up to eighty percent of the area median income will help to promote the development of affordable housing in areas served by the expanding Honolulu mass transit network.  Your Committees additionally find that this exemption could also incentivize affordable housing development in areas of Oahu outside the Honolulu rail transit corridor.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Expanding the exemption to affordable housing units on the island of Oahu; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Education that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1146, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1146, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Education,

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair

 

________________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair