STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1020-14

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2014

RE:   S.B. No. 2533

      S.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2014

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 2533, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address Hawaii's affordable housing needs through the appropriation of funds and the issuance of general obligation bonds.

More specifically, this measure:

(1)  Appropriates moneys to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to improve the existing public housing stock and increase the supply of public housing units in the State;

(2)  Authorizes the issuance of general obligation bonds for deposit into the rental housing trust fund and the dwelling unit revolving fund and appropriates moneys out of those funds to finance affordable rental housing development and infrastructure development;

(3)  Appropriates moneys to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation for the construction of micro apartment housing units;

(4)  Appropriates moneys to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for the construction of housing for beneficiaries on Hawaiian home lands; and

(5)  Appropriates moneys to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to build affordable housing projects for veterans.

The Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, PHOCUSED, Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, Partners in Care, Community Alliance for Mental Health, United Self Help, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS, Hawaii Catholic Conference, and a concerned individual provided testimony in support of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance provided comments on this measure.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2533, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair