STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1001

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1632

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1632, S.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to develop a comprehensive action plan to establish a local housing market in Hawaii.

Specifically, this measure:

(1) Requires the Yes in My Back Yard Working Group under the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to submit a comprehensive action plan to the Legislature that addresses land trusts, incentives for development, amendments to inheritance laws, authorization of dwelling units in additional areas, and other issues; and

(2) Appropriates moneys to facilitate the development of the action plan.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation, HI Good Neighbor, LIMBY Hawaii, and fourteen individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and two individuals.

Your Committee finds that the Yes in My Back Yard Working Group is a statewide initiative established by Act 305, Session Law of Hawaii 2022, aimed at addressing barriers to developing affordable housing. Your Committee believes that the action plan required by this measure will help guide Hawaii's various housing entities to increase the supply of affordable housing available to Hawaii residents.

Your Committee has amended this measure by

(1) Changing the amount appropriated from $300,000 to an unspecified amount; and

(2) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1632, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1632, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair