STAND. COM. REP. NO. 438
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 99
Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi
President of the Senate
Twenty-Ninth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2017
State of Hawaii
Sir:
Your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 99 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HOUSING CHOICE VOUCHER PROGRAM,"
beg leave to report as follows:
The purpose and intent of this measure is to prohibit any county from disqualifying a legal nonconforming dwelling unit from the housing choice voucher program if the unit meets zoning and building code requirements and other program standards such as health and safety standards.
Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from Ho‘omana Pono, LLC. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Department of Community Services of the City and County of Honolulu.
Your Committees find that a lack of available housing options is a critical issue facing the State's citizens. Measures that limit housing availability have the additional negative effect of also increasing home prices and rents. It is therefore necessary to remove as many barriers to affordable housing as possible. This measure confronts this issue by limiting a county's ability to disqualify a legal nonconforming dwelling unit from the housing choice voucher program.
As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 99 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Public Safety, Intergovernmental, and Military Affairs and Housing,
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________________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair |
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________________________________ CLARENCE K. NISHIHARA, Chair |
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