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From: Joia <br /> To: LPCtestimonv <br /> Subject: Opposition to bill 121 <br /> Date: Thursday,April 18,2024 3:50:32 PM <br /> Aloha <br /> I am adamantly opposed to bill 121. If passed,this bill sets a dangerous precedent of unethical <br /> and extremely problematic government control over individual rights to have sovereignty over <br /> how one lives on one's personal property. We see from numerous testimonies that Hawaii <br /> Island is full of everyday people who live in unconventional ways and the types of laws that <br /> apply to Oahu or NYC are by no stretch appropriate to a place like Hawaii Island. This is why <br /> we choose to live here and yet so many of us are struggling financially and we rely on our <br /> STR's to pay our mortgages. I hear of single mothers raising small children who rely on an <br /> STR as their only form of income. I hear of people who live in a non-traditional dwelling and <br /> rent the main house because this is the only way they can stay afloat. I hear of people who <br /> have ageing parents on the mainland and would lose their business if their parents needed <br /> them because they are not legally allowed to hire an operator to take their place as host. To <br /> pass an across the board bill that has no way to allow for such an array of specific and unique <br /> circumstances is irresponsible and extremely short sighted. Our elected officials are tasked <br /> with representing the voice of the people, not the hotel industries. Listen to the people. I hear <br /> that this bill has been drafted in response to complaints. Why not address those complaints on <br /> a case by case basis as opposed to putting people who have had no complaints and have been <br /> operating successfully for years out of business? I hear that this bill is in response to a housing <br /> crisis and yet every STR owner I speak to tells me they would not transition their STR into a <br /> long term rental because it is their home and they don't want to deal with squatters who <br /> damage their home and laws that are in heavy favor of tenants and not landlords. If you truly <br /> want to address the housing shortage then allocate funds for people to build affordable ohanas <br /> that they live in or rent out. Streamline and simplify the permitting process so that it is simple <br /> and efficient and can allow people to generate solutions to the housing shortage in an <br /> affordable and timely manner. But don't target STRs that are allowing our community <br /> members to stay financially afloat and that are supporting the local economy. Locally run <br /> accommodations allow visitors to experience true Aloha and true Hawaii outside of big wig <br /> resorts -this kind of experience cultivates reverence for our precious islands and our unique <br /> culture here. <br /> I am a Hokule'a crew member, I have worked at the Bishop Museum,the Waikiki Aquarium, <br /> and as a biologist with endangered Hawaiian monk seals on the Northwestern Hawaiian <br /> Islands. I select guests responsibly, I show them Aloha, and I educate them on how unique and <br /> sacred these islands are. My neighbors are aware and they actually appreciate being able to <br /> chat over the fence with people from all over the world. I have never had a single complaint. <br /> This law would put so many locals out of business and force them to lose their homes, and all <br /> they have worked so hard for to ensure the future of their children. This bill hurts local <br /> families. Please vote against bill 121, at the very least until an EIS is performed and far more <br /> consideration is put into how to protect and not harm local livelihoods in an increasingly <br /> challenging economic climate. <br /> Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony. <br />