STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3200

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 3

       S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2016

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committees on Housing and Water, Land, and Agriculture, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 3 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE CONVENING OF A WORKING GROUP TO CONDUCT A NEEDS-BASED ASSESSMENT OF FARM WORKER HOUSING THROUGHOUT THE STATE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the convening of a working group to conduct a needs-based assessment of farm worker housing throughout the State.

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Office of Planning; Ho‘omana Pono, LLC; and one individual.

     Your Committees find that affordable housing in general is scarce in Hawaii primarily because of the cost of land and construction.  For farmers that have long-term agricultural land leases, particularly those that are long-term lessees of agricultural and non-agricultural parks, housing is a challenge as they are frequently unable to provide adequate housing for workers.  This measure requests the convening of a working group to assess farm worker housing throughout the State to prevent shortages in adequate farm worker housing that reduce the numbers of available farm workers, which makes it more difficult for farmers in Hawaii who operate small farms to make their farms sustainable.

     Your Committees note that the working group may need to be allocated $10,000 for travel to the neighbor islands, meetings, and additional outreach.

     Your Committees have amended this measure by:

     (1)  Adding representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Hawai‘i Farm Bureau, and Hawai‘i Farmers Union United to the working group;

     (2)  Designating the Office of Planning as the lead agency of the working group; and

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

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Housing and Water, Land, and Agriculture that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 3, as amended herein, and recommend that it be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 3, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Housing and Water, Land, and Agriculture,

________________________________ MIKE GABBARD, Chair

________________________________ BREENE HARIMOTO, Chair