RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Hawaii has long been known for its lack of affordable housing and for housing costs which are among the highest, if not the highest, in the nation; and

WHEREAS, in Hawaii, the only options for residents are to rent or own real property in the form of single- or multi-family dwelling units; and

WHEREAS, with monthly housing rentals in excess of $2,000 and home sales prices in excess of $500,000, the cost of renting or owning a home in Hawaii far exceeds the ability of average working families to pay these prices; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii is already facing a severe homeless crisis, and the sale of affordable housing projects, without reassurance that the units will remain affordable, have many fearful that the numbers of homeless will increase even further; and

WHEREAS, development of land parcels for single- and multi-family dwellings requires substantial site preparation work, including streets, curbs and gutters, utility installations, and dedication of offsite infrastructure, including parks and schools, all of which may cost as much as $200,000 per lot without consideration of the cost of constructing the home itself; and

WHEREAS, in other localities, trailer parks provide an intermediate level of housing between rentals and condominium or homeownership, for households of low and moderate incomes; and

WHEREAS, the cost of site preparation for a trailer park is substantially less than that for residential developments, requiring only the provision of utility connections to each "pad" within a parcel of land, rather than the subdivision of real property; and

WHEREAS, trailer parks, when properly developed, can be aesthetically pleasing as well as economical; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, the Senate concurring, that the Hawaii Public Housing Administration in consultation with the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, each branch of service of the United States Armed Forces in Hawaii, and the Planning Director of each county, is requested to study the issue of trailer parks as one possible solution for Hawaii's homeless and affordable housing crisis; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each county is requested to consider adoption by ordinance of appropriate zoning and building standards for allowing trailer parks as a permitted land use; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Administration is requested to report its findings and recommendations to the Legislature not later than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2007; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Executive Director of the Hawaii Public Housing Administration, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, Chairperson of the Hawaiian Homes Commission, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Planning Director of each county, and the Commander of the United States Pacific Command, who in turn is requested to transmit copies to the senior commanding officer of each branch of the military services in Hawaii.

Report Title:

Affordable Housing; Homelessness; Trailer Parks