STAND. COM. REP. NO. 111

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 100

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2009

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 100 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to allow a county legislative body ninety instead of forty-five days to approve, approve with modifications, or disapprove an affordable housing project.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by five county agencies.  Testimony in opposition was submitted by two state agencies, two county agencies, and five private organizations.  Copies of written testimony are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     Your Committee has heard that county legislative bodies have a difficult time meeting the forty-five day decision requirement.  The counties have noted that the forty-five day limit does not provide time for responsible review, as much of the time that should be spent evaluating a project is consumed by the notice requirements under chapter 92, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     Your Committee understands that there may be extenuating circumstances that would preclude the counties from adequate consideration of affordable housing projects, but your Committee does not want to delay all projects in a time of such critical need for affordable housing.  Your Committee urges the counties to work with the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to determine what circumstances might allow the Corporation to extend the review period to sixty days.

     Your Committee has amended this measure accordingly, by authorizing the legislative body to request that the corporation approve an extension to sixty days if the legislative body determines that circumstances require additional time for review.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education and Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 100, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 100, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs.

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

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair