STAND. COM. REP. NO. 505

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 1268

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 1268, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to allow counties, with regard to housing, to issue affordable housing credits to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, and to allow the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to transfer or assign credits.

 

     This measure further allows the credits to be applied to satisfy the affordable housing obligations imposed by the county.

 

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Homelands; Sovereign Councils of the Hawaiian Homelands Assembly; Hawaii Developers' Council; Gentry Homes, Limited; Building Industry Association of Hawaii; the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii; Kamehameha Schools; and Maluohai Residents' Association.  Comments were received by the City and County of Honolulu.  Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that private-sector development of affordable homes for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands beneficiaries is a key element in helping to solve Hawaii's affordable housing shortfall.  By increasing the supply of homes on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands properties, the overall supply of homes in the State is increased, thus making more homes available for the people of Hawaii.  Allowing affordable housing credits to be applied to other projects located in the same county in which the credits are earned may serve as an incentive for the private sector to participate with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands affordable housing program.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure to require county approval within sixty days after transfer or assignment of credits by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1268, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1268, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair