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HCHA April 9, 2019 <br /> mentioned kamakona (sic) but what else do we have in our toolkit that we can <br /> either put into place as far as policymaking here or champion different funds or <br /> accelerate capacity? Help...help us understand that so for the next 20 months <br /> as we sit up here helping the Department of Housing, what kind of policies do <br /> you folks need? <br /> Gyotoku: I...there are several projects, especially in Waikoloa, for example in <br /> additional to Kamakoa there's Kaiaulu 0' Waikoloa, that's another proposed <br /> housing project, multi-family rental. Also, Waikoloa family, which is another one <br /> that is being proposed. Those are, right now in the works. FUDS has been the <br /> issue. I...I personally...we cannot designate where we want to build the housing. <br /> We can try to encourage but I think the biggest thing and if I've learned that <br /> there's different counties, that they have what they call an expedited <br /> processing...building permit processing for affordable housing to the private <br /> developer. I think this is a tremendous advantage if they can. We've also tried to <br /> get more what we call project based housing vouchers which is a critical <br /> component when they seek financing for theses proposed housing projects. If <br /> we can get more, we've tried...we're trying all the time to talk to our <br /> congressional people and to the Department of Housing and Urban <br /> Development to increase our allocations. Were the only county that pretty <br /> much extensively used the project based vouchers and right now were almost <br /> at our maximum allocation. We can do about 20% of our total 2,100 for project <br /> based vouchers. And it stays...the housing vouchers stays with the project for an <br /> extended period of time. On the free choice they can...the person can take it <br /> wherever they want if they can find. My office, including Des...Desiree here, <br /> we've tried to increase the fair market rent for Kona, the westside, so it has a <br /> higher fair market rent then Hilo, but its just that there's not much affordable <br /> housing. Maybe if you give up your vacation rentals we might be able to get <br /> more but...but inventory has been a problem, no question about it. I think to try <br /> entice the project developer, the private developers, if you can have things like <br /> an expedited permit review process, that might help. <br /> LeeLoy: And thank you for that Mr. Gyotoku cause that was our body is, we're a <br /> policy making body, so creating incentives...the 201 H program thats available <br /> to us that does provide exemptions and exceptions AND expedited housing, I <br /> think if we could champion from both the housing department side and then <br /> this body side I think there's an opportunity there I think we've got the general <br /> plan update so if we start to ping certain areas where we can lend ourselves <br /> with infrastructure and then accelerate capacity I think there's another <br /> opportunity there...please come and talk to us as we start moving through these <br /> policy pieces cause that's what this body does. The other question I had was <br /> those project based vouchers, and I know its contingent upon our federal <br /> government and so, that is my other question...what are the strategies if we <br /> don't get the same level of funding from HUD and CDBG just because of the <br /> Page 11 of 22 <br />