HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

27

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

REQUESTING each COUNTy TO EXAMINE its CURRENT ZONING LAWS, BUILDING CODES, AND SUBDIVISION REQUIREMENTS AND ELIMINATE ENCUMBRANCES TO FAMILY CAREGIVING AND AGING IN PLACE.

 

 


     WHEREAS, family caregiving has always been a universal experience of all ethnicities, lifestyles, and income levels; and

 

     WHEREAS, due to a shortage of care providers in Hawaii, family caregiving has become a critical element of our health and long-term care system; and

 

     WHEREAS, the need for personal care assistance due to physical, sensory, cognitive, and self-care disabilities increases with age; and

 

     WHEREAS, by 2010, more than fourteen per cent of the residents of Hawaii will be over the age of sixty-five years; and

 

     WHEREAS, as Hawaii's population ages, many more families will be providing higher levels of long-term care to frail and disabled older adults at home; and

 

     WHEREAS, local communities must be prepared to accommodate their aging population; and

 

     WHEREAS, the rise in the number of older Hawaii residents will impact every aspect of local communities, including housing, transportation, land use planning, civic engagement, and parks and recreation; and

 

     WHEREAS, in the area of housing, for instance, local communities should plan for the modification of existing homes, development of institutional- and community-based services such as assisted living facilities and adult day care, and zoning changes to allow different types of housing units within existing neighborhoods; and

 

     WHEREAS, planning should be done now to support aging in place in the community and to accommodate those facilities and services that will make aging in place possible; and

 

     WHEREAS, each county should examine its current zoning laws, building codes, and subdivision requirements and eliminate encumbrances to family caregiving and aging in place as may be appropriate to meet our aging population's needs; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2007, the Senate concurring, that each county is requested to examine its current zoning laws, building codes, and subdivision requirements and eliminate encumbrances to family caregiving and aging in place as may be appropriate to meet our aging population's needs; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Mayor of Honolulu, Mayor of Hawaii, Mayor of Kauai, Mayor of Maui, Chair of the Honolulu City Council, Chair of the Hawaii County Council, Chair of the Kauai County Council, Chair of the Maui County Council, Acting Director of the Honolulu Department of Design and Construction, Director of the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting, Director of the Hawaii County Planning Department, Director of the Kauai County Department of Planning, and Director of the Maui County Department of Planning.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Family Caregiving; Aging in Place in the Community