STAND. COM. REP. NO 334

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 785

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs, Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Human Services and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 785 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS,"

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to make permanent provisions allowing for affordable housing credits to be requested by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and received from each county for units developed on Hawaiian home lands.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Sovereign Councils of Hawaiian Homelands Assembly, and one individual.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the City and County of Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting; Kauai County Housing Agency, and Center for Hawaiian Sovereignty Studies.

 

     Your Committees find that affordable housing credits have allowed the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to gain resources to develop Hawaiian home lands consistent with its mission to return native Hawaiians to their trust lands.  Your Committees note the concern raised by the City and County of Honolulu and Kauai County that the unintended effect of this measure may be to reduce their total overall inventory of affordable housing.

 

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing language that would have provided a two-for-one credit for affordable housing developed for rental purposes;

 

     (2)  Inserting language that requires the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to expend twenty-five percent of revenues from the transfer of affordable housing credits for the development of rental units; and

 

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

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs, Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Human Services and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 785, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 785, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs, Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, and Human Services and Housing,

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair

 

____________________________

MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair

 

 

____________________________

SUZANNE CHUN OAKLAND, Chair