STAND. COM. REP. NO. 521

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1276

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1276 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DETACHED DWELLINGS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to require each county to adopt ordinances authorizing detached dwelling units that meet certain minimum standards.

 

     Your Committee received comments on this measure from Grassroots Institute of Hawaii and HI Good Neighbor.

 

     Your Committee finds that the State has a housing crisis.  A recent study by the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism found that the State will need more than fifty thousand new homes by 2025.  Consequently, the State needs to be proactive in addressing the housing crisis and search for new and creative ways to provide more housing for residents.  This measure will allow new types of homes, such as tiny homes, to be built as well as streamline the process for required approvals.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding language clarifying that a county shall not deny issuance of a building permit where a dwelling unit meets the strict criteria outlined in this measure.

 

     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. 1276, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1276, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

 

 

 

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair