STAND. COM. REP. NO. 203

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 40

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 40 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to allow owner-occupant projects to qualify, without income restrictions, as a housing project that may be exempt from certain statutes pursuant to the provisions of section 201H-38, Hawaii Revised Statutes.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from Faith Action HousingNOW! and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Your Committee finds that creating more housing supply is a necessary course of action to help the thousands of Hawaii families who need a permanent roof over their heads. By providing Hawaii residents with more opportunities to purchase a home, the State would be moving toward fulfilling the housing objectives and policies for socio-cultural advancement outlined in the Hawaii State Planning Act, as codified in section 226-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes. This measure will help greater numbers of Hawaii residents obtain home ownership by eliminating income restrictions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Replacing the term "residents of the State" with "qualified resident," which is a defined term in chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes; and

(2) 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. 40, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 40, S.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary.

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

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STANLEY CHANG, Chair