HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.C.R. NO.

70

TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requestING THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO CONVENE A TASK FORCE to study the ESTABLISHMENT OF A STATEWIDE COMMUNITY LAND TRUST TO PROMOTE HOMEOWNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES IN HAWAII.

 

 

 


     WHEREAS, Hawaii has traditionally been unable to provide an adequate amount of permanent, affordable housing for residents; studies estimate between seventeen thousand and twenty thousand homes need to be built to provide decent, safe affordable homes for our population; and

 

     WHEREAS, the American dream of owning a home should be within the reach of Hawaii's families; home ownership, which is often a family's largest investment, can become the base upon which a family builds their assets; and

 

     WHEREAS, it has been demonstrated that community land trusts can help address the need for permanent, affordable housing by:

 

     (1)  Purchasing homes, including homes that fall into foreclosure;

 

     (2)  Putting restrictions of the price and occupancy of the homes through ground lease covenants; and

 

     (3)  Selling the homes to income-qualified families at below-market prices; and

 

     WHEREAS, Na Hale O Maui has done an exemplary job of successfully using federal funding from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to acquire, rehabilitate, and sell bank-owned foreclosure homes as community land trust housing; Na Hale O Maui currently has a goal of completing twenty homes in this funding cycle; and

 

     WHEREAS, the Na Hale O Maui community land trust could serve as a successful model for a statewide organization with professional leadership and centralized administration, providing many residents the potential to own a home in the State; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii has many noteworthy, dedicated organizations involved in affordable housing and land management, including but not limited to, Maui Coastal Land Trust, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaii Community Development Authority, Trust for Public Lands, Affordable Housing Alliance, Self-Help Housing Hawaii, Mutual Housing Association of Hawaii, and Hawaii Habitat for Humanity; and

 

     WHEREAS, other states have been successful in developing regional community land trust programs including Vermont, Minnesota, Oregon, Montana, and Washington; Delaware has a single statewide community land trust to centralize administrative functions as a non-profit entity; and

 

     WHEREAS, these states, along with the Na Hale O Maui community land trust, offer important insights on how to create community land trusts to increase the amount of affordable housing in Hawaii; and

 

WHEREAS, the opportunity exists to partner with national programs through the National Community Land Trust Network, Housing Land Advocates, the Community Land Trust Academy, and the Land Trust Accreditation Commission; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation is requested to convene a statewide community land trust task force to study the establishment of a statewide community land trust to promote homeownership opportunities in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force include, but not be limited to, the following members:

 

     (1)  The Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, or the Chairperson's designee;

 

     (2)  The Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority, or the Executive Director's designee;

 

     (3)  A representative from Na Hale O Maui Community Land Trust;

 

     (4)  The Executive Director of the Trust for Public Lands, or the Executive Director's designee;

 

     (5)  A representative from each of the community land trusts on Kauai, Oahu, and the Big Island;

 

     (6)  The Director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance, or the Director's designee; and

 

     (7)  The Director of the Hawaii Habitat for Humanity, or the Director's designee; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Director of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation is requested to serve as chairperson of the task force; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is encouraged to utilize the technical expertise available through national organizations, such as the Community Land Trust Network, the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, and the Community Land Trust Academy; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit to the Legislature a report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2012; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; the Mayor of the counties of Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, and the City and County of Honolulu; the Director of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; the Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; the Director of Human Services; the Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission; the Chairperson of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; the Executive Director of the Trust for Public Lands; the Director of the Affordable Housing and Homeless Alliance; and the Director of the Hawaii Habitat for Humanity.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

 

Report Title: 

Community Land Trust Task Force; Establishment