STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1476

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 1408

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1408, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII HOUSING FINANCE AND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION BUDGET,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to appropriate or authorize funds for programs of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and O‘ahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that this measure expresses adjustments to the programs or positions, maximum sums appropriated or authorized, or means of financing indicated for programs of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to be incorporated into the General Appropriations Act of 2019, or other appropriate legislative vehicle, or to be adopted separately.

Your Committee further finds that there is a great need to increase the supply of affordable housing in Hawaii and that under existing law, there is no office to monitor, comment on, and advocate for the State's production of affordable housing. Your Committee believes that the dwelling unit revolving fund, under the administration of the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, is an appropriate means of financing an office to advocate for solutions to the State's housing crisis.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting language suggested by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, which:

(A) Changes the number of permanent full-time equivalent and temporary full-time equivalent positions to be transferred from housing administration to housing development;

(B) Transfers one full-time equivalent permanent and one full-time equivalent temporary position from housing development to housing administration; and

(C) Transfers one full-time equivalent permanent position from housing finance to housing administration;

(2) Establishing the Office of the Housing Advocate within the Office of the Governor, to be funded by the dwelling unit revolving fund, to advocate for solutions to the State's housing shortage; and

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

Your Committee requests that if your Committee on Ways and Means passes this measure that it consider incorporating all of the Corporation's budget items in this measure into the appropriate legislative vehicle or amend this measure to include any provisions necessary to effectuate its purpose and intent

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. 1408, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1408, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

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

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair