STAND. COM. REP. NO.  7

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   H.B. No. 829

      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. 829 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the development of affordable housing as part of transit-oriented development by directing the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to work with county development agencies to encourage the development of these projects and funding grants to allow counties to contract for third-party permit reviews to expedite the development process.

The Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, the Building Industry Association of Hawaii, the Hawaii Primary Care Association, and the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii testified in support of the bill. The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation supported the intent of the bill.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1)  Defining a permissible third party permit review under the grant program;

(2)  Making housing development projects that offer affordable units to households displaced by natural disaster eligible for priority consideration in grant awards;

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

(4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style.

     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. 829, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 829, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Water & Land.

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

____________________________

MARK J. HASHEM, Chair