Bill Text: HI HB829 | 2015 | Regular Session | Amended

Hawaii House Bill 829 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Transit-Oriented Development; Affordable Housing; Expedited Approval of County Permits; Appropriation ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-13 - Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on FIN as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Takumi excused (1). [HB829 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2015-HB829-Amended.html

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.B. NO.	829
TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015		H.D. 2
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

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

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that rapid transit systems address traffic congestion and offer expanded mobility options. Rapid transit systems can be a major influence in regional and neighborhood economic development, strongly influencing where development, redevelopment, and revitalization occur. In addition, rapid transit systems promote affordable housing. Development around transit stations is relatively more intense mixed use development, which reduces the costs of constructing affordable housing, especially since less parking is provided. With daily goods and services located within walking distance, households located near transit stations can also considerably reduce transportation costs.

The legislature further finds that if insufficient incentives are provided for the development and maintenance of affordable housing, gentrification of these neighborhoods may occur, resulting in significantly more expensive market housing replacing affordable housing. Therefore, it is important to encourage the construction of new affordable housing and maintenance of existing affordable housing in transit-oriented development projects.

The purpose of this Act is to authorize and appropriate funds to the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation to facilitate the delivery of affordable housing as part of transit-oriented development by making grants-in-aid to counties to expedite permit processing through county third party review programs.

SECTION 2. Chapter 201H, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part II to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

"§201H- Expedited approval of county permits for affordable housing; transit-oriented development. (a) The corporation shall encourage the development of affordable housing that is located within three miles of a transit-oriented development. The corporation shall collaborate with county permitting agencies to facilitate the timely processing of county permits and with the appropriate county agencies responsible for approving, monitoring, and enforcing the terms and conditions of the permit in accordance with the permit plan.

(b) For the purposes of this section, the corporation may make grants-in-aid to counties from moneys appropriated by the legislature for a county to contract with third parties to conduct reviews and certifications of county permit applications; provided that the grants-in-aid for third party review shall be limited to not more than $10,000 per affordable housing unit; and provided further that:

(1) Each affordable housing project includes a minimum of thirty units, with not less than half of the total units dedicated as affordable housing units for rent or sale; and

(2) Priority in awarding grants-in-aid shall be given to housing development projects in the following order:

(A) Those that reserve at least fifty per cent of the total number of units for households with incomes at or below eighty per cent of the median family income; and

(B) Those that offer affordable housing units to qualifying households that are dislocated as a result of redevelopment or by natural disasters.

"Affordable housing" shall have the same meaning as in section 201H-57.

"Third party review" means a county program that authorizes certified individuals, companies, or organizations to review permit applications on behalf of the county, as an alternative to review by county officials, for code compliance."

SECTION 3. Section 201H-32, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

1. By adding a new definition to be appropriately inserted and to read:

""Transit-oriented development" means a residential or mixed-use residential project designed to maximize access to public transportation and encourage ridership, as designated by the respective county. "Transit-oriented development" may include a transit station or stop surrounded by affordable housing development."

2. By amending the definition of "develop" or "development" to read:

""Develop" or "development" means the planning, financing and acquisition of real and personal property; demolition of existing structures and clearance of real property; construction, reconstruction, alteration, or repairing of

approaches, streets, sidewalks, utilities, and services, or other site improvements; construction, reconstruction, repair, remodeling, extension, equipment, or furnishing of buildings or other structures; or any combination of the foregoing, of any housing project. It also includes any and all undertakings necessary therefor, including undertakings to facilitate transit-oriented development that includes affordable housing development, and the acquisition of any housing, in whole or in part."

SECTION 4. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $500,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2015-2016 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for

fiscal year 2016-2017 for the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation to make grants-in-aid to appropriate county agencies for the sole purpose of contracting for the third party review and certification of county permit applications to expedite the processing and issuance of building permits for affordable housing projects that are certified by a county to be part of transit-oriented development.

The sums appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 5. New statutory material is underscored.

SECTION 6. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.

Report Title:

Transit-Oriented Development; Affordable Housing; Expedited Approval of County Permits; Appropriation

Description:

Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to facilitate the development of affordable housing as part of transit-oriented development by making grants-in-aid to counties to expedite permit processing by using third party review programs. Appropriates funds. (HB829 HD2)

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