STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3634

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: H.B. No. 2470

H.D. 1

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2470, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the need for affordable rental housing by:

(1) Directing the Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) to convey a specified 15.418-acre parcel in Honokaa located in the County of Hawaii (Parcel) to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC);

(2) Requiring HHFDC to conduct a feasibility study to determine whether the parcel is suitable for an affordable rental housing project; and

(3) Appropriating $750,000 for the feasibility study.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, Office of Housing and Community Development, and County of Hawaii Mayor's Office.

Your Committee finds that there is a dire need for affordable rental housing in the County of Hawaii. Your Committee further finds that a 15.418-acre parcel in Honokaa, identified as TMK No. (3) 4-5-010:122, may be suitable to address the county's need for affordable rental housing. If the parcel is suitable for an affordable rental housing project, it should be transferred, together with any improvements thereon, to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. This measure would transfer this property to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and require them to perform a feasibility study of whether the property is suitable to build affordable housing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion.

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. 2470, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2470, 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