Hawaii moves a step closer to solving its housing crisis
On Tuesday, March 9, the State Senate passed a number of progressive housing bills, taking us a step closer to ending Hawaii’s housing shortage. I applaud my Senate colleagues for prioritizing this urgent issue and look forward to working with my counterparts in the State House of Representatives to continue advancing these bills.
The measures that were passed include:
SB1 SD2: RELATING TO HOUSING (ALOHA HOMES)
This bill would allow the state to build low-cost, high-density housing at zero overall cost to taxpayers. It is a multifaceted solution that would provide our state with tens of thousands of units to solve our supply crisis.
SB2 SD2: RELATING TO PUBLIC LANDS
This bill clarifies that lands set aside to the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation by the governor or leased by other state departments and agencies are exempt from the definition of “public lands.”
SB4 SD2: RELATING TO INCLUSIONARY ZONING
This bill prohibits inclusionary zoning requirements on those who are residents of the State, are owner-occupants, and do not own any other real property. It also requires every county to submit a yearly report on inclusionary zoning requirements to the legislature until 2026.
SB749 SD2: RELATING TO THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY
This bill allows the Hawaii Public Housing Authority to build non-subsidized housing.
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Mahalo for all of your support throughout this process. We accomplished this through a collaborative effort. But the fight is not over. In the coming weeks, it will be tremendously important that we take action to further our housing initiatives.
Hawaii is depending on us to end this crisis. When these bills are referred to committee in the State House of Representatives, we hope you will continue to support the measures as vigorously as you’ve supported them in the Senate.
Let’s celebrate this victory, while keeping an eye on the future. Together, we can end Hawaii’s housing shortage.
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