STAND.
COM. REP. NO. 1562
Honolulu, Hawaii
, 2025
RE: H.C.R. No. 66
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Speaker, House of Representatives
Thirty-Third State Legislature
Regular Session of 2025
State of Hawaii
Madame:
Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 66 entitled:
"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL TO ADOPT, AMEND, OR UPDATE THE STATE BUILDING CODE TO AUTHORIZE POINT ACCESS BLOCK CONSTRUCTION FOR RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS UP TO SIX STORIES IN THE STATE,"
begs leave to report as follows:
Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and Housing Hawai‘i's Future. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the American Institute of Architects, Hawaii State Council.
Your Committee finds that existing building code requirements effectively mandate a double-loaded corridor building, where two stairways access a corridor in the middle of the building with units on each side. This can result in the dwelling units in these buildings having daylight come from only one single exterior wall, with little to no cross ventilation. Your Committee further finds that buildings with point access blocks are compact single stair buildings with dwellings that are centered around a stairway and elevator core and have a single point of access. Dwelling units in buildings with point access blocks tend to be very flexible, with a higher proportion of units ranging from two- to four-bedrooms. Your Committee believes that the State would benefit from allowing the residential buildings to be constructed to allow for point access blocks, which could alleviate the State's severe lack of housing by reducing construction costs.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 66 and recommends its adoption.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,
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____________________________ LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair |
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