House Standing Committee on Housing

Good morning. I'd like to call to order the public hearing for the Housing Committee. It is Wednesday, March 19, just after 9am and we have only two bills on our agenda. So we will be very fast this morning and we'll go.

Actually, for those testifying on Zoom, we could just ask you to make sure that you please keep your microphone on mute and your camera off until you are called to testify. And then as always for everybody, just no profanity or that could be grounds for removal from the Zoom room. And that said, we'll jump right in.

SB 79 SD 1, relating to historic preservation reviews. Vice chair for the testimony.

First up, HHFDC, in support.

Morning, chair, vice chair, and members. Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation. We stand on our testimony in support with amendments.

Thank you. DLNR, SHPD, in support. NAIOP Hawaii, in support.

Hello, chair, vice chair, and members of the committee. Evan Oue, on behalf of NAIOP. We stand in strong support of this measure, which will help expedite, you know, a lot of the regulatory processes at SHPD.

You know, we do recommend within our testimony one amendment in regards to complete and accurate accuracy of applications submitted to the department and just for your consideration, but thank you for the opportunity. Available for any questions.

Thank you, and one individual with comments. Anyone else online or in person wishing to testify on SB 79 SD 2? Seeing none, chair.

Chair. Members, any questions? Seeing none. Next item on the agenda is SD 1170 SD2 HD1 relating to the expeditious redevelopment and development of affordable rental housing. Vice Chair for the testimony.

HHFDC in support. Thank you. Halemaho in support. Pacific Commercial Realty in support. On Zoom not present. K Comm Corporation in support. Good morning.

Good morning chair, vice chair and members of the committee. I'm Joe Blanco. Actually I developed this project back in 30 years ago and there's a couple of amendments that both Pacific Commercial Realty and myself under K Comm. We were actually the developers submitted. The first amendment is based on testimony that the Attorney General had previously submitted.

They said that because it included a special ordinance that was applicable to us that could be deemed a special law. And so we have reworked the language, made the technical amendment. So we believe now it will not be deemed that. The Second Amendment

hat technical amendment that we're putting forth is in our discussions with the Maui County, they basically said when you build housing under emergency proclamation and the improvements are not completed prior to the expiration of the emergency proclamation, the question becomes whether you have to start all over again.

And therefore it was actually Corporation Council that suggested that as long as you have a permit in process with the county, then that should suffice. And not make everybody start all over again. So that is the extent of the technical amendments we submit. And so we ask you to not only pass this bill, but with our amendments.

Thank you.

Thank you. Green Party of Hawaii in support. Maui Chamber of Commerce in support. Lahaina strong in support. Individual Stella Caban in support on Zoom. Not present. Individual Elizabeth Ray with comments on Zoom.

Aloha, can you hear me?

Yes.

Hi, Aloha. I'm Elizabeth Ray. I'm a former Lahaina teacher for Princess. All my students lost their homes. So I've been advocating and volunteering down seeing firsthand in Lahaina. And yes, we really need expedited housing, affordable housing. We're looking at kupunas with no housing.

We're looking at the Lahaina fire victims, we're looking at the disabled, we're looking at the physically disabled, the mentally disabled and the poverty stricken beyond Lahaina. There's so much homelessness on this island. We're one of the top in the nation according to our homeless problem.

So I really believe that anything that we can do to expedite affordable housing units for our people, for our sustainable workers, for the Lahaina fire victims, for my students, for their parents, we need homes. No housing. No peace. Thank you.

Thank you very much. We also have over 30 individuals in support and one in opposition. Anyone else online or in person wishing to testify on SB 1170 HD1?Seeing none.

Chair Members, any questions on SB 1170? Seeing non brief recess reconvening for decision making for our housing Committee agenda for Wednesday, March 19. The first item up is SB79 SD1 related to historic preservation reviews. My recommendation is that we move this out with an HD1. Sorry, move out in HD1 with just a defective date.

Members, any questions, comments or concerns? All right. Seeing none. Vice Chair for the vote.

Voting on SB79 SD1. The recommendation is to pass with amendments. [Roll Call] Chair, the recommendation is adopted.

Thank you. Next item is SP1170 SD2 HD1 relating to the expeditious redevelopment and development of affordable rental housing.

So I recommend we move this out with an HD2 with some pretty substantial amendments and just some quick clarity because it took us a little while yesterday to try and figure out the difference between SB 1296 and this. And.

And as I understand at this point, this Bill would allow for redevelopment similar to SB 1296, but possibly with some slightly expanded footprints for affordable housing. So just sort of increased flexibility, which as I've come to understand is probably going to be pretty important for these properties to to adequately rebuild.

So I do want to keep this and want to be clear that it is different and expanded from SB 1296, which is also moving through through other committees.

So that said, I recommend that we adopt the amendments proposed by Pacific Commercial Realty Corporation which they proposed in their testimony in their entirety, but on the newly added paragraph three of their proposed amendment to add language clarifying that the submitted application must be deemed by the relevant relevant agency or Department as complete.

And then to also clarify that no provision of the bill applies to parcels on the shoreline or parcels impacted by waves, storm surges, high tide or shoreline erosion.

And then also recommend deleting the references to flooding and tsunami on page one, line seven and also on page three, line three to just clarify that the bill doesn't apply to redevelopment for homes destroyed by flooding or tsunami.

And Then on page 2, subsection D add clarifying language that permanently affordable multi family housing projects within the SMA that are being redeveloped pursuant to the disaster criteria listed in subsection A that are located on properties or districts on the state or National Historic Register are exempt from HRS343 requirements.

I believe that that was the intention of that section, though the wording in the section was a little bit muddled. So we're just trying to clarify what what I believe the intention was. And then the bill is currently actually drafted in session law.

So I recommend that we move that hrs into statute into hrs Chapter 205 part 2 and then tech amendments as necessary. Members, any questions, comments or concerns? Seeing None Vice Chair for the vote.

Voting on SB 1170s D2HD1. The recommendation is to pass with amendments noting the excused absences of Representative Cochran, Kitagawa and Perrick. Are there any Members voting no? Any with reservations? Seeing none. Chair the recommendation is adopted.

Awesome. Thank you. Vice Chair thank you to everybody who came out to testify today for a very efficient hearing hearing and seeing no further business. This public hearing is now adjourned.