STAND. COM. REP. NO.  242

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 1354

      H.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1354 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to increase development in the quantity and quality of housing in Hawaii by appropriating funds to various housing agencies for improving the quality of existing public and affordable housing structures and increasing the supply of affordable and public housing units in the State.  

The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, General Contractors Association of Hawaii, PHOCUSED, Partners in Care, EAH Housing, Neighborhood Place of Puna, Catholic Charities Hawaii, Hawaii Primary Care Association, Hawaii Catholic Conference, Hawaii Appleseed Center, and several concerned individuals supported this measure.  The Hawaii Interagency Council on Homelessness, BIA Hawaii, The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii, and Hawaii Association of Realtors supported the intent of this measure.  The Department of Budget and Finance and a concerned individual submitted comments on this measure.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

(2)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

     Should the Committee on Finance deliberate this measure further, your Committee on Housing respectfully requests that it consider appropriating:

(1)  $50,000,000 for the improvement of existing public housing stock and increasing the supply of public housing units;

(2)  $100,000,000 for general obligation bonds for loans and grants for rental housing from the Rental Housing Trust Fund;

(3)  $20,000,000 for general obligation bonds for the development of infrastructure from the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund;

(4)  $15,000,000 for the construction of micro apartment housing units;

(5)  $30,000,000 for the construction of housing for Native Hawaiian beneficiaries on Department of Hawaiian Home Lands homestead land; and

(6)  An appropriate amount for affordable housing projects for veterans.

     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 H.B. No. 1354, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1354, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair