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.OJ�<VIOi 11 COUNTY OF HAWAII •(�_,' %l•__.r...4:;,,,...::i STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 81 17 A RESOLUTION URGING THE HAWAII STATE LEGISLATURE TO PASS HOUSE BILL 2 AND HOUSE BILL 229 RELATING TO TINY HOMES. WHEREAS, House Bill 2 will provide an additional legal pathway for addressing a lack of affordable housing for farm workers, which has made it difficult for working farms to attract and retain employees and to operate farms in an economical manner; and WHEREAS, the production of locally grown crops is important to the economy, food security, and health of the State and its population, and authorizing the construction and use of "tiny homes" as affordable housing for farm workers will encourage healthy and productive farming; and WHEREAS, House Bill 2 states: "the purpose of this Act is to authorize the construction of tiny homes within agricultural districts, on farms that are currently engaged in agricultural production, in a county with a population of more than 180,000 but less than 250,000, notwithstanding any county ordinance or regulation to the contrary."; and WHEREAS, with a population of 196,428 (2015 U.S Census Bureau estimate), Hawai`i County is currently the only County in the State of Hawai`i that will be required to comply with House Bill 2, in accordance with its population specification; and WHEREAS, House Bill 229 states: "the purpose of this Act is to prevent the State and counties from adopting or enforcing regulations mandating certain minimum sizes for single- family detached dwellings unless those regulations are necessary to ensure that dwellings meet fire and life safety or environmental purposes or standards."; and WHEREAS, House Bill 229 will provide an additional and desperately needed legal pathway for the construction of affordable shelters for houseless individuals and low income families; and WHEREAS, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, between 2007-2015 the State of Hawai`i had the largest percentage increase of houseless individuals in the United States (29.2% increase); now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the Council finds that the passage of House Bill 2 and House Bill 229 could help to address a number of challenges before the State and County of Hawai`i by creating an additional legal pathway for the construction of tiny homes, and that the Hawai`i State Legislature is urged to pass House Bill 2 and House Bill 229 relating to tiny homes.