STAND. COM. REP. NO. 639

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 754

       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 Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 754 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to direct the Legislative Reference Bureau to review the state and county laws related to affordable housing to identify strategies to strengthen Hawaii's housing laws.

     Specifically, this measure requires the Legislative Reference Bureau, in particular, to review the following statutes to recommend strategies to strengthen Hawaii's housing laws:

     (1)  Chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation;

     (2)  Chapter 356D, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority; and

     (3)  Chapter 46, Hawaii Revised Statutes, relating to county organization and administration.

     Your Committee received three written comments on this measure.

     Copies of written comments submitted to the Committee are available for review on the Legislature's website.

     In the review, the Legislative Reference Bureau is directed to:

     (1)  Identify duplicative or overlapping provisions in current law that may hamper the increased development of affordable housing;

     (2)  Review concerns raised regarding proposed amendments to Hawaii's housing laws that were intended to increase the development of affordable housing, which were introduced in the 2008 and 2009 legislative sessions;

     (3)  Review any recommendations made by any legislative task force, financial or management audit, or affordable housing study conducted within the last three years regarding proposed amendments to Hawaii's housing laws that were intended to increase the development of affordable housing; and

     (4)  Determine any other information that may be relevant during the course of the review.

     The Legislative Reference Bureau is also directed to seek input from a variety of stakeholders and to submit a report of its findings, recommendations, and any proposed legislation to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2010.

     Your Committee finds that the study required in this measure will help to identify strategies to increase the supply of affordable housing in the State.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Updating data from the Urban Land Institute Hawaii in the purpose section of the measure; and

     (2)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 754, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 754, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

DONNA MERCADO KIM, Chair