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Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference In Consideration of Bill No. 156 18 April 2007 Page Two of Two Clearly we need new, diverse, and higher-wage employment opportunities as well as, affordable workforce housing. However, placing such affordable housing requirements on the investors who generate new employment opportunities is very much like killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Instead, it may be wiser for us to recognize that prospective employers look at numerous factors including and not limited to, an available and educated workforce. Currently, Hawaii County employers are facing challenges finding and sustaining such a workforce, and often the lack of affordable housing is cited as a primary reason for this shortfall. This leads us to the adage of "what comes first the chicken or the egg" - or in this case, "workforce or workforce housing". As such, perhaps a better strategy would be for us to focus on identifying and implementing the means by which we can increase the inventory of affordable workforce housing, which in turn, would attract a workforce which would encourage investment and thus, create more employment opportunities. The Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference humbly requests that the Council revisit policy development on affordable housing and consider all of the contributing elements to this issue to ensure a sustainable policy that will endure through both good and difficult economic times. In the interim, absent a comprehensive discussion as noted above, the Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference reiterates opposition to Bill No. 156. Thank you for your leadership in finding and executing a responsible solution to our island's challenges, and for this opportunity to express our views on this matter. Respectfully submitted, Jacqui L. Hoover President Hawaii Leeward Planning Conference