STAND. COM. REP. NO. 527

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2019

RE: H.B. No. 1312

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1312 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to accelerate the State's response to the affordable housing crisis by:

(1) Authorizing the issuance of $400,000,000 in general obligation bonds, with the proceeds to be deposited into the Rental Housing Revolving Fund; and

(2) Appropriating $200,000,000 in each year of the 2019-2021 fiscal biennium from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund for the development of affordable housing.

The Hawai‘i Association of REALTORS, Faith Action for Community Equity, O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i, Partners in Care, and a few individuals submitted testimony in support of this measure. The Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Catholic Charities Hawai‘i, and Hawaiian Community Assets offered comments on this measure.

Hawaiian Community Assets requested that the appropriation from the Rental Housing Revolving Fund be increased from $100,000,000 for each year of the biennium to a $200,000,000 allocation for each year. In addition, Catholic Charities of Hawai‘i submitted testimony urging that $75,000,000 of the $200,000,000 allocation each year be designated for the development of permanent supportive housing to address the disabled and chronically homeless population.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the bond authorization and appropriation amounts to unspecified amounts;

(2) Changing its effective date to January 1, 2050, to promote further discussion; and

(3) 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. 1312, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1312, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

TOM BROWER, Chair