STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2885

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2205

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 S.B. No. 2205 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO IMPORTANT HOUSING LANDS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to promote affordable housing by designating certain lands owned by the State that are located within 0.5 miles of any rail mass transit station as important housing lands.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from three individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Department of Planning and Permitting, City and County of Honolulu. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Planning State, Department of Land and Natural Resources, Aloha Stadium Authority, Building Industry Association Hawaii, and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that there is a housing shortage throughout the State. Affordable housing is needed for low- and moderate-income households, particularly near mass transit hubs. Your Committee finds that the elevated rail system on Oahu provides the ideal opportunity to develop affordable housing.

This measure:

(1) Establishes that important housing lands are public lands owned by the State that are located within 0.5 miles of any rail mass transit station and are needed to promote the expansion of available housing for the future;

(2) Requires the State and counties to identify and designate important housing lands; and

(3) Appropriates funds to the counties for identifying and mapping important housing lands.

Your Committee notes that the many proposed developments on state lands near rail stations enumerated by the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Stadium Authority include no affordable housing. Your Committee further notes the testimony of the Office of Planning that nearly all State-owned land within 0.5 miles of rail mass transit stations are in the urban district, and the remaining non-urban areas are not appropriate for housing.

Your Committee additionally notes that its intent is that the future housing developments to be built on important housing lands contemplated by this measure is for low- to moderate-income households, despite not specifying such in the measure. Your Committee wishes to recognize the contributions of Juanita Kawamoto who presented your Committee with the concept of important housing lands.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Deleting the exception for lands that have been designated for urban use;

(2) Amending the definition of "important housing lands" and adding a definition of "eligible buyer"; and

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

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 S.B. No. 2205, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2205, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary.

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

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair