We support the intent to increase affordable housing for our workforce. No bill is perfect, hence the reason for public input in the hopes of improving the initial efforts of the committee. We hope all voices will be heard and we will give the testimony and input of those with knowledge and experience significant weight in the deliberation process.
We thank you for the efforts that have and will continue to increase affordable housing in Maui County.
Council of the County of Maui
Affordable Housing Committee
Councilmember Gabe Johnson, Chair
Councilmember Michael J. Molina, Vice Chair
AH-14(5)—Bill Relating To Income Group Distribution For Residential Workforce Housing Units
Monday, November 15, 2021
1:30 P.M.
City Council Chamber
Aloha Chair Johnson, Vice Chair Molina, and Members of the Committee.
Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) is a non-profit market recovery trust fund which represents approximately 7,000 men and women union carpenters and 240 large and small contractors. With our expertise in research, compliance, marketing, and project advocacy, we are committed to building a stronger, more sustainable Hawaii in a way that promotes a vibrant economy, creates jobs, and enhances the quality of life for all residents of Hawaii.
PRP writes in strong opposition of the proposed bill, relating to income group distribution for residential workforce housing units for the following reasons:
• The Council of the County of Maui has not approved a comprehensive affordable housing plan. The Council has yet to approve a comprehensive affordable housing plan. The County paid $300,000 to Hawaiian Community Assets to draft the Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan, which the Council never adopted or approved. Furthermore, what plan did this bill originate from? To our knowledge, it is not a part of the proposed Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan.
• The bill does nothing to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing. Historically, the implementation of ill-advised policies has resulted in lost opportunities to build more affordable housing for Maui residents. In late 2006, the County of Maui enacted an ordinance requiring 50% of the units in residential development projects be workforce housing. This policy resulted in almost no affordable housing projects, until the requirement was lowered to 25% in 2014. Maui sacrificed the needs of residents for an ill-considered policy that ignored market realties. We should learn from the mistakes of the past and not take Maui residents down the same road again by supporting this proposed bill that does nothing to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing.
• There is no clear plan on who will pay for the construction of affordable housing if this bill is enacted. Since this proposed policy will not incentivize developers to build more affordable housing, the county will need to subsidize these projects. In order to do this, the county may need to raise real property taxes for Maui residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
• Overregulation of housing will likely result in more Maui-born residents moving out of Maui for a better life. From 2010 – 2019, there has been a decline in Hawaii-born residents and an increase in US citizen born and foreign-born residents on Maui. This proposed policy will likely accelerate this trend cause Hawaii-born residents and their families to leave Maui for a better life elsewhere.
Given the above, we respectfully recommend that this Council defer this bill and consider policies that incentivize developers to invest private funds into the construction of more affordable housing to avoid raising real property taxes for Maui residents.
Thank you for this opportunity to submit written testimony.
This email is to submit support for Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan - AH-14(5) -as proposed by the Affordable Housing Committee.
As a 65 year resident of Maui, i have witnessed the crazy growth, and displacement of locals, especially Kanaka Maoli.
Anything that will move us in the direction of finally giving some hope to us is welcomed, and needed!
My children, moʻopuna etc are in danger of being homeless, or having to leave. And i have many kūpuna friends and family that live with their children, or they would be homeless as well. (Social Security donʻt pay todayʻs rents). We need way more Hale Mahaoluʻs. Hopefully that need will be addressed as well in the near future.
The undersigned here are all lifelong Maui residents, and are happy that i am willing to send this email on their behalf as well. i am not including the more than 20 other people that I have personally spoken with, that are also in complete support of this bill.
Mahalo for your time,
Mary Drayer mdrayerhome@msn.com
and on behalf of:
Lindsey Drayer lindseydrayer@hotmail.com
Erin Drayer edrayer@msn.com
Kamea Drayer-Hoopii kameadh@gmail.com
Kahiau Snyder kahiausnyder@gmail.com
GlennThielk naluhiwa@aol.com
Allan J Almeida allanjamialmeida@gmail.com
Actually I am for the bill however i am not in favor of 1a listed below:
changing %age of ownership from 30% now to 15% in the future for very low income households (see rationale below)
1. Unless an exemption is granted by the [director,]
council, the percentage of ownership units within each income
group [shall] must be as follows:
a. [Thirty] Fifteen percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[below-moderate] very low income”
residents.
b. [Fifty] Forty-five percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[moderate] low income” residents.
c. [Twenty] Forty percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[above-moderate] below-moderate
income” and “moderate income” residents.
Rationale for my opposition to 1a: if you accept these changes the most vulnerable of our society and the group on the edge of becoming homeless would be the ones who would be most affected by this %age change. Going from 30% to 15% would significantly reduce the inventory of housing available to the very low income workers on this Island. I understand that this change would be better for the developers, but if we truly want to solve the problem of homelessness on this Island we need to make bills that favor getting folks into housing not excluding them. It may be necessary for the State and County legislatures work together and help subsidize these work force housing projects so that we can keep the large percentage of housing available for our lowest income families. If the state and county are committed to solving the problem of homelessness then they must consider that monies need to be set aside to assist developers in making work force housing for our poorest of residents a reality.
thank you for your time
Dr mary trotto, resident Kihei
Testimonies Received from AH Committee
Please see attached testimony.
Please see attached testimony.
We have attached our testimony for consideration.
We support the intent to increase affordable housing for our workforce. No bill is perfect, hence the reason for public input in the hopes of improving the initial efforts of the committee. We hope all voices will be heard and we will give the testimony and input of those with knowledge and experience significant weight in the deliberation process.
We thank you for the efforts that have and will continue to increase affordable housing in Maui County.
Testimony of
Pacific Resource Partnership
Council of the County of Maui
Affordable Housing Committee
Councilmember Gabe Johnson, Chair
Councilmember Michael J. Molina, Vice Chair
AH-14(5)—Bill Relating To Income Group Distribution For Residential Workforce Housing Units
Monday, November 15, 2021
1:30 P.M.
City Council Chamber
Aloha Chair Johnson, Vice Chair Molina, and Members of the Committee.
Pacific Resource Partnership (PRP) is a non-profit market recovery trust fund which represents approximately 7,000 men and women union carpenters and 240 large and small contractors. With our expertise in research, compliance, marketing, and project advocacy, we are committed to building a stronger, more sustainable Hawaii in a way that promotes a vibrant economy, creates jobs, and enhances the quality of life for all residents of Hawaii.
PRP writes in strong opposition of the proposed bill, relating to income group distribution for residential workforce housing units for the following reasons:
• The Council of the County of Maui has not approved a comprehensive affordable housing plan. The Council has yet to approve a comprehensive affordable housing plan. The County paid $300,000 to Hawaiian Community Assets to draft the Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan, which the Council never adopted or approved. Furthermore, what plan did this bill originate from? To our knowledge, it is not a part of the proposed Maui County Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan.
• The bill does nothing to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing. Historically, the implementation of ill-advised policies has resulted in lost opportunities to build more affordable housing for Maui residents. In late 2006, the County of Maui enacted an ordinance requiring 50% of the units in residential development projects be workforce housing. This policy resulted in almost no affordable housing projects, until the requirement was lowered to 25% in 2014. Maui sacrificed the needs of residents for an ill-considered policy that ignored market realties. We should learn from the mistakes of the past and not take Maui residents down the same road again by supporting this proposed bill that does nothing to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing.
• There is no clear plan on who will pay for the construction of affordable housing if this bill is enacted. Since this proposed policy will not incentivize developers to build more affordable housing, the county will need to subsidize these projects. In order to do this, the county may need to raise real property taxes for Maui residents who are already struggling to make ends meet.
• Overregulation of housing will likely result in more Maui-born residents moving out of Maui for a better life. From 2010 – 2019, there has been a decline in Hawaii-born residents and an increase in US citizen born and foreign-born residents on Maui. This proposed policy will likely accelerate this trend cause Hawaii-born residents and their families to leave Maui for a better life elsewhere.
Given the above, we respectfully recommend that this Council defer this bill and consider policies that incentivize developers to invest private funds into the construction of more affordable housing to avoid raising real property taxes for Maui residents.
Thank you for this opportunity to submit written testimony.
Aloha e,
This email is to submit support for Comprehensive Affordable Housing Plan - AH-14(5) -as proposed by the Affordable Housing Committee.
As a 65 year resident of Maui, i have witnessed the crazy growth, and displacement of locals, especially Kanaka Maoli.
Anything that will move us in the direction of finally giving some hope to us is welcomed, and needed!
My children, moʻopuna etc are in danger of being homeless, or having to leave. And i have many kūpuna friends and family that live with their children, or they would be homeless as well. (Social Security donʻt pay todayʻs rents). We need way more Hale Mahaoluʻs. Hopefully that need will be addressed as well in the near future.
The undersigned here are all lifelong Maui residents, and are happy that i am willing to send this email on their behalf as well. i am not including the more than 20 other people that I have personally spoken with, that are also in complete support of this bill.
Mahalo for your time,
Mary Drayer mdrayerhome@msn.com
and on behalf of:
Lindsey Drayer lindseydrayer@hotmail.com
Erin Drayer edrayer@msn.com
Kamea Drayer-Hoopii kameadh@gmail.com
Kahiau Snyder kahiausnyder@gmail.com
GlennThielk naluhiwa@aol.com
Allan J Almeida allanjamialmeida@gmail.com
Actually I am for the bill however i am not in favor of 1a listed below:
changing %age of ownership from 30% now to 15% in the future for very low income households (see rationale below)
1. Unless an exemption is granted by the [director,]
council, the percentage of ownership units within each income
group [shall] must be as follows:
a. [Thirty] Fifteen percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[below-moderate] very low income”
residents.
b. [Fifty] Forty-five percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[moderate] low income” residents.
c. [Twenty] Forty percent of the ownership units
[shall] must be for “[above-moderate] below-moderate
income” and “moderate income” residents.
Rationale for my opposition to 1a: if you accept these changes the most vulnerable of our society and the group on the edge of becoming homeless would be the ones who would be most affected by this %age change. Going from 30% to 15% would significantly reduce the inventory of housing available to the very low income workers on this Island. I understand that this change would be better for the developers, but if we truly want to solve the problem of homelessness on this Island we need to make bills that favor getting folks into housing not excluding them. It may be necessary for the State and County legislatures work together and help subsidize these work force housing projects so that we can keep the large percentage of housing available for our lowest income families. If the state and county are committed to solving the problem of homelessness then they must consider that monies need to be set aside to assist developers in making work force housing for our poorest of residents a reality.
thank you for your time
Dr mary trotto, resident Kihei