THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	72
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to housing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. Section 201H-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

"[[]§201H-31[]] Criteria. (a) In administering this chapter and other laws of the State applicable to the supplying of housing or the assistance in obtaining housing, the corporation shall give preference to those applicants most in need of assistance in obtaining housing, in light of the amount of moneys available for the various programs. In doing so, the corporation shall take into consideration the applicant's household income and number of dependents; the age of the applicant; the physical disabilities of the applicant or those living with the applicant; whether or not the present housing of the applicant is below standard; whether or not the applicant's need for housing has arisen by reason of displacement of the applicant by governmental actions; the proximity between the housing location and the applicant's place of employment; whether the applicant is a state or county employee; whether the applicant is a returning resident that left the State to attend a university, college, or trade school and has graduated within the past two years; and other factors as it may deem pertinent. The corporation may allow households with incomes up to twenty per cent greater than the income on which the maximum sales price was based to be qualified to purchase a unit.

(b) For any project developed or administered by the corporation under this chapter, the corporation shall, when feasible, set aside as a matter of preference no fewer than       per cent of the available units for state or county employees.

(c) The corporation shall:

(1) Determine the order of preferences as outlined in this section and rank all applicants accordingly;

(2) Select applicants based on application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants; and

(3) Validate the preference status of an applicant before occupancy of an affordable unit.

(d) The corporation may establish additional eligibility criteria in administrative rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91."

SECTION 2. Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 3. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

HHFDC; Housing Development Programs; Criteria; Preferences; Ranking; Housing Location Proximity; State and County Employees; Returning Resident Graduates; Reserved Units; Rules

Description:

Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to consider as a preference under chapter 201H, HRS, the proximity between the housing location and the applicant's place of employment; whether the applicant is a state or county employee; and whether the applicant is a returning resident that left the State to attend a university, college, or trade school and has graduated within the past two years. Requires, for any project developed or administered by the HHFDC under chapter 201, HRS, the HHFDC to set aside as a matter of preference an undetermined per cent of available units for state or county employees, when feasible. Requires HHFDC to determine the order of preferences and rank applicants accordingly, select applicants based on application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants, and validate the preference status of applicants before occupancy of a unit. Authorizes HHFDC to adopt rules to establish additional eligibility criteria.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.