STAND. COM. REP. NO. 618

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2021

RE: H.B. No. 1311

H.D. 2

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred H.B. No. 1311, H.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to address the shortage of affordable rental housing on Maui and maintain the viability of the Keawe Street affordable housing project by:

(1) Removing the 2022 deadline for completion of the Leialii affordable housing project; and

(2) Exempting the Leialii affordable housing project from the State's historic preservation law requirements.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of affordable rental housing in the county of Maui, especially on the western portion of the island. Your Committee further finds that the Legislature appropriated $37,000,000 to expedite and complete the Leialii affordable housing project by 2022. However, on September 21, 2020, the State Historic Preservation Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources notified the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation that it would need a new archaeological inventory survey for the entire villages of the Leialii master planned community, which includes the Keawe street apartments affordable housing project. As a result of the mandated survey, the Leialii affordable housing project cannot meet its 2022 completion deadline and will lose its funding. This measure seeks to address these issues to provide much needed affordable housing on Maui.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Requiring the Leialii affordable housing project to comply with state requirements under historic preservation laws as funding is appropriated for each portion of the project to expedite the development of the project; and

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

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1311, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1311, H.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs,

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair