A controversial state bill aimed at adding to Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing supply just got its major provisions removed.
Senate Bill 3202 would have allowed two accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, on residentially zoned properties in urban districts on lots as small as 2,000 square feet. Homeowners with larger properties would have been able to subdivide into smaller properties, each with three separate housing units.
Supporters argue that the bill would have allowed for more affordable housing in Hawaiʻi by making way for “middle housing” options like duplexes.
But state lawmakers on Monday removed language on dwelling units and minimum property sizes, essentially gutting the bill.
“The two aspects of the bill that would have certainly made the most difference in our housing crisis were the ADU component and the minimum lot size component, and both of those sections got removed," said Rep. Luke Evslin, who chairs the House Committee on Housing.
"There are still some important parts of the bill that will make a difference in some aspects, but certainly the biggest change-makers are no longer in there,” he continued.
The committees on Housing, Water and Land, and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs made the changes to the bill in a joint hearing on Monday.
Evslin recommended removing language related to the minimum lot sizes in response to testimony from Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters. The city council recently opposed SB3202 via a city resolution.
Evslin recommended keeping language regarding ADUs, but Rep. Linda Ichiyama, who chairs the Water and Land Committee, recommended removing that part of the bill.
Representatives from the other counties, including the City and County of Honolulu, say that they’re already moving toward allowing more ADUs on their own.
“I respect the counties’ autonomy in this area, and they have said that they’re moving in this direction. And I would like to give them the opportunity to do so," Ichiyama said.
"And if they are unable to do so for whatever reasons or challenges, then I think it would be appropriate for this body to come back to in the future — maybe even as early as next year — to revisit whether or not there needs to be a statewide mandate for ADUs,” she said.
Testimony on SB3202 was again split in the measure’s latest hearing. Affordable housing advocates supported the bill and noted the exodus of Native Hawaiians and Hawaiʻi residents from the state because of the high costs of living.
Representatives from the County of Kauaʻi, County of Maui and Hawaiʻi County also supported the measure.
The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, in a 2019 report, said that up to more than 46,000 additional housing units to be built in order to meet the housing demand in 2030.
Opponents said SB 3202 wouldn’t lead to more affordable housing, as it didn’t have language ensuring affordability. Instead, it would lead to “monster homes” and developers buying properties and flipping them for multiple — and expensive — properties, further pricing out residents.
The most vocal opponents included the City Council and Oʻahu residents.
