THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

33

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

relating to HOUSING SUPPLY PLANS.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that there is a severe shortage of affordable housing in Hawaii, and the shortage places an immense strain on lower-income households.  As several government studies have concluded that the State does not have and is not producing enough new housing units to meet normal population growth projections to 2025, it is critical for the counties to also take initiative in increasing the production of housing to meet the anticipated housing demands in their respective counties.  The purpose of this Act is to require the counties to be proactive in planning for new housing at all price points to meet anticipated demand.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part VII to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§46-    Housing elements; housing supply plan.  (a)  Each county shall prepare a housing supply plan, which shall plan for a projected increase in the housing supply to meet housing demands of all income levels in the State.  The housing supply plan shall identify and analyze existing and projected housing needs for all income levels to preserve, improve, and develop housing.  The housing supply plan shall identify adequate sites for housing, including rental housing.

     (b)  The housing supply plan shall include an assessment of housing needs and an inventory of resources and constraints relevant to the meeting of housing needs, which shall include:

     (1)  An analysis of population and employment trends and documentation of projections and a quantification of the county's existing and projected housing needs for all income levels;

     (2)  An analysis and documentation of household characteristics, including level of pay compared to ability to pay, housing characteristics, including overcrowding, and housing stock condition;

     (3)  An inventory of land suitable and available for residential development, including vacant sites and sites having realistic and demonstrated potential for redevelopment;

     (4)  An analysis of potential and actual governmental constraints upon the maintenance, improvement, or development of housing, including land use controls, building codes, fees, and any county ordinance that directly impacts the cost and supply of housing development, for all income levels and persons with disabilities; provided that the analysis shall demonstrate the county's effort to remove governmental constraints;

     (5)  An analysis of potential and actual nongovernmental constraints upon the maintenance, improvement, or development of housing for all income levels, including the availability of financing, the price of land, and the length of time between receiving approval for a housing development and submittal of an application for building permits; provided that the analysis shall demonstrate the county's effort to remove nongovernmental constraints;

     (6)  An analysis for special housing needs, including housing for the elderly, persons with disabilities, large families, and farmworkers;

     (7)  An analysis of opportunities for energy conservation with respect to housing development, including energy efficiency measures that encompass the building envelope, its heating and cooling systems, and its electrical systems; and

     (8)  An analysis of existing assisted housing developments that are eligible to change from low-income housing uses during the next ten years due to termination of subsidy contracts, mortgage prepayment, or expiration of restrictions on use; provided that the analysis also shall:

          (A)  Include a listing of each development by project name and address, the type of governmental assistance received, and the earliest possible date existing assisted housing developments will change from low-income housing uses;

          (B)  Include an estimated total cost of producing a new rental housing that is comparable in size and rent levels to replace assisted housing developments changing from low-income housing uses; and

          (C)  Identify public and private nonprofit corporations that have legal and managerial capacity to acquire and manage the assisted housing developments.

     (c)  The housing supply plan shall include the maximum number of housing units by income levels, including low-income, that can be constructed, rehabilitated, and conserved over a five-year time period for each county.

     (d)  The housing supply plan shall identify actions that will be taken to make sites or land available to develop housing for all income categories and include how each county plans to acquire, or what means are necessary to acquire, adequate sites to develop housing for all income levels.

     (e)  The housing supply plan shall define the appropriate housing demand, including a ratio of jobs to residents, which shall account for latent housing demands within the county.

     (f)  Each county shall include the housing supply plan in the respective county's general plan.

     (g)  For purposes of this section:

     "Assisted housing development" means multi-family rental housing that receives governmental assistance.

     "Persons with disabilities" has the same meaning as in section 103D-1001."

     SECTION 3.  Each county shall submit its housing supply plan to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2022.

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $2,000,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2021-2022 to conduct the studies required by this Act; provided that the funds shall be appropriated as follows:

     (1)  $500,000 for the county of Hawaii;

     (2)  $500,000 for the county of Maui;

     (3)  $500,000 for the county of Kauai; and

     (4)  $500,000 for the city and county of Honolulu.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by each respective county for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2021.

 

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________


 


 

Report Title:

Counties; Housing Supply Plan; Housing Demand; Appropriation

 

Description:

Requires each county to prepare a housing supply plan to plan for projected increases in the State's housing supply to meet housing demands of the respective county, identify and analyze existing and projected housing needs for all income levels, define the term "housing demand" including a ratio of jobs to residents to account for latent demand, and identify adequate sites for housing, including rental housing.  Requires housing supply plans to be submitted to the legislature.  Appropriates funds for the counties to conduct the required studies.

 

 

 

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.