STAND. COM. REP. NO.  626-08

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2008

RE:   H.B. No. 2598

      H.D. 1

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Human Services & Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2598 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to require the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to focus on developing land in the Oahu urban core under the jurisdiction of the Hawaii Community Development Authority (HCDA) and land in the urban core of the other counties.

     The Office of Hawaiian Affairs testified in support of this bill.  HHFDC and the County of Hawaii Office of Community Development opposed this measure.

     Your Committee recognizes the concerns of testifiers who stated that rural and urban areas of the state should be considered equally when considering the need for affordable housing in the state.  HHFDC noted that the districts established under HCDA's jurisdiction are limited and encompass only a portion of Oahu's urban core.

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Requiring HHFDC to prioritize the use of its resources in facilitating the development of certain areas, rather than mandating that its resources be used for development; and

     (2)  Changing the development focus on Oahu to the areas covered under the Ewa Development Plan and the City and County of Honolulu Primary Urban Center Development Plan.

Other technical, nonsubstantive amendments were made for clarity, consistency, and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services & Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2598, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2598, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water, Land, Ocean Resources & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services & Housing,

____________________________

MAILE SHIMABUKURO, Chair