STAND. COM. REP. NO. 337

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1412

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 1412 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE HAWAII PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to clarify the Hawaii Public Housing Authorityꞌs (HPHA) powers relating to housing projects.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

Your Committee finds that HPHA is the principal agency tasked with providing safe and affordable housing for residents earning less than thirty percent of the area median income, individuals with disabilities, and elderly populations. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development has encouraged public housing agencies to incorporate mixed-income and mixed-finance models to foster financially viable and socially integrated communities. As HPHA seeks to revitalize public housing statewide, including the launch of multiple redevelopments, empowering HPHA with greater flexibility will enable HPHA to provide more housing to Hawaii's residents. Therefore, this measure clarifies HPHA's statutory framework to reflect modern, flexible, and financially sustainable housing solutions.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 1412, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1412, 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