Bill Text: HI SB1266 | 2017 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Relating To Affordable Housing.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 7-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2017-04-28 - The conference committee deferred the measure. [SB1266 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2017-SB1266-Amended.html
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THE SENATE |
S.B. NO. |
1266 |
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TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2017 |
S.D. 2 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
H.D. 1 |
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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 the Front Street Apartments on the island of Maui provide affordable housing to more than two hundred fifty low-income residents. The Front Street Apartments were developed in 2001 as an affordable rental housing project with one hundred forty-two units, using state financing and state tax credits, and were expected to remain affordable to low-income tenants for fifty years. However, the owners of the Front Street Apartments recently exercised an option to remove the property from affordability requirements that were tied to the development of the property, and this change will allow them to begin renting available apartments at market rates and to raise rents for existing tenants within a few years.
The legislature further finds that many tenants of the Front Street Apartments were not previously aware of this threat to their housing and are worried that the removal of affordability requirements could leave them homeless. There is a severe shortage of affordable housing on the island of Maui, which will be exacerbated by the conversion of the Front Street Apartments to market-rate housing.
The legislature also finds that the tenants, surrounding community, and the island of Maui would benefit from the active intervention of the State in this situation to ensure that there is no negative impact on current and future tenants of the Front Street Apartments. Act 288, Session Laws of Hawaii 2006, regarding state intervention to preserve affordable rents at the Kukui Gardens affordable rental housing project on the island of Oahu, provides an important precedent for this Act.
Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to preserve the Front Street Apartments as an affordable rental housing project.
SECTION 2. The legislature declares that it is in the public interest and is required for public use to acquire the Front Street Apartments as an affordable rental housing project by exercise of the power of eminent domain if an agreement to either extend the affordable rents or acquire the property is not reached within a reasonable time. The legislature further declares that it is necessary to provide for the public financing of the acquisition of the Front Street Apartments by condemnation through the expenditures of general funds, revenue bonds, rental housing trust funds, federal and state low-income housing tax credits, or any other public and private funds at the disposal of the State.
SECTION 3. The Hawaii housing finance and development corporation or any appropriate entity of the State as determined by the governor shall immediately initiate negotiations with 3900 Corporation, leasehold fee owners of the applicable real property, and Front Street Affordable Housing Partners Limited Partnership, owners of the improvements constructed upon the applicable real property, or their successors in interest to either:
(1) Make available, without competitive award, public financing resources to extend affordable rents at the Front Street Apartments through at least 2032; provided that:
(A) Seventy rental units shall be retained at affordable rents to households whose incomes do not exceed fifty per cent of the median family income for the area; and
(B) Seventy-one rental units shall be retained at affordable rents to households whose incomes do not exceed sixty per cent of the median family income for the area,
as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; or
(2) Acquire the property known as the Front Street Apartments, tax map key (2) 4-5-003-013, and may partner with private for-profit or nonprofit developers for acquisition of the property and improvements thereupon; provided that:
(A) Seventy rental units shall be retained at affordable rents to households whose incomes do not exceed fifty per cent of the median family income for the area; and
(B) Seventy-one rental units shall be retained at affordable rents to households whose incomes do not exceed sixty per cent of the median family income for the area,
as determined by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
SECTION 4. The Hawaii housing finance and development corporation or the appropriate entity of the State as determined by the governor shall submit a report to the legislature not later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2018 regarding its efforts to acquire the Front Street Apartments and its recommendations for financing the purchase of the property.
SECTION 5. If an agreement to either extend the affordable rents to at least 2032 or acquire the property is not reached within a reasonable time as determined by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation or any other appropriate entity of the State as determined by the governor, that state agency shall exercise its power of eminent domain to acquire the property and improvements thereupon. For the purposes of this Act, and notwithstanding any provision of section 201H-13, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the contrary, condemnation of the Front Street Apartments property and improvements thereupon shall not be subject to legislative disapproval.
SECTION 6. There is appropriated out of the general revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $ or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2017-2018 for the purpose of negotiating with the owners of the real property and improvements thereupon known as the Front Street Apartments to either extend the period of affordable rents to at least 2032, acquire the real property and improvements known as the Front Street Apartments, or to commence the condemnation process; provided that no funds authorized pursuant to this appropriation shall be made available unless the county of Maui appropriates $ in matching county funds for the purposes of this Act.
The sum appropriated shall be expended by the Hawaii housing finance and development corporation for the purposes of this Act.
SECTION 7. This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun before its effective date.
SECTION 8. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050.
Report Title:
HHFDC; Affordable Housing; Maui; Front Street Apartments; Appropriation
Description:
Directs the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation or any appropriate entity of the State to initiate negotiations to keep the units of the Front Street Apartments on the island of Maui affordable or to acquire the Front Street Apartments property. Appropriates funds. (SB1266 HD1)
The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.
