STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3266

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.C.R. No. 48

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Housing, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 48 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS TO PROVIDE HOUSING FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to:

(1) Identify beneficiaries who are homeless and to use this information to assist in its objective to deliver diverse residential homesteading opportunities for beneficiaries; and

(2) Develop multi-family, high-density development in transit-oriented development zones.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaiian Civic Club of Honolulu; O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; and Ho‘omana Pono, LLC. Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Ho‘omanapono Political Action Committee and one individual. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

Your Committees find that homelessness remains one of the State's most pressing issues. According to "Housing Needs of Native Hawaiians: A Report From the Assessment of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian Housing Needs" by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Native Hawaiians are disproportionally represented in the State's homeless population. The Department of Housing and Urban Development further states in its 2015 Homeless Populations and Subpopulations report that thirty-nine percent of homeless in Hawaii identify as Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

Your Committees believe that while homelessness is a statewide problem, the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' responsibility is toward Native Hawaiians. Your Committees note the testimony received from the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands indicating that the Department is working toward developing multi-family, high-density development as evidenced by the Hawaiian Homes Commission's approval in December 2017 to proceed with beneficiary consultation to consider administrative rules relating to Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions communities, multi-family housing, and rentals. Your Committees believe that the construction of tiny homes may be a solution that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands should consider in its objective to deliver diverse residential homesteading opportunities.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting any reference to "homeless" Native Hawaiians or beneficiaries and deleting the request that the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands identify beneficiaries who are homeless and utilize that information to assist in its objective to deliver diverse residential homesteading opportunities for beneficiaries;

(2) Correcting the number of applicants on the homestead waitlist;

(3) Inserting language regarding the role of tiny homes in placing Native Hawaiians in low-priced housing and allowing more to qualify for a home and requesting the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to develop tiny homes;

(4) Requesting the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to identify beneficiaries who may benefit from the delivery of diverse residential homesteading opportunities;

(5) Amending its title accordingly to read, "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HAWAIIAN HOME LANDS TO PROVIDE MULTI-FAMILY, HIGH-DENSITY DEVELOPMENT IN TRANSIENT-ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ZONES AND TINY HOMES FOR NATIVE HAWAIIANS"; and

(6) 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 Hawaiian Affairs and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees concur with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 48, 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. 48, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Hawaiian Affairs and Housing,

________________________________ WILL ESPERO, Chair

________________________________ MAILE S.L. SHIMABUKURO, Chair