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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0595.038 2020-2022 VIBRANT WAI Ashley Kierkiewicz, Council Planning Committee Chair Rebecca Villegas, Committee Vice Chair Hawai'i County Council County of Hawai'i Dear Chair Kierkiewicz,Vice Chair Villegas and members of the County Council, I submit this written testimony in support of Bill 112 Waikoloa Land Company's Kumu Hou project. This action would allow the Waikoloa Land Company to develop a minimum of 140 affordable workforce housing units. In 2019,a Small and Might(SAM)group of Hawai'i Island community change leaders came together with a common why, a belief that increasing wealth and wellbeing on Hawai'i requires'auamo kuleana,or the active agency to create collective impact.The SAM group visited regions around the island and asked community to share aspects of their vision of a vibrant Hawaii.Specificly related to housing, these are the words of community: • Everyone should have a home • Housing: affordable and accessible • Attainable housing • Housing that is"perfect"for the individual : • Homes that serve as safe spaces • Affordable housing • Access to housing • Housing access to within community(reduce commute times) • Spectrum of housing options The development and project being pursued by the Waikoloa Land Company would provide affordable workforce housing at a price or cost attainable for members and families in our community.Specifically,84 units will serve those with an annual income of 30-601. • Hawai'i County 2021 AMI: $78,800 • 30-60°%of AMI: $23,640-$47,280 • Max rent and utilities charged to remain below shelter burden: $591-$1,182jmonth In October 2021,the State of Hawai'i published the 2020 Employment and Payrolls in Hawai'i Report which shows that 99.5%of the employment opportunities in Hawai'i County have an average annual wage that is below the AMI.Additionally, 63%of those jobs have an average annual wage of 60%or below the AMI. C onn Tri. Na Reg. To: Ref, Date— -- i i Employment and Wages Covered by HI Employment Security Law and Unemployment Compensation Average Employment Average Annual Wage Accommodation and Food Services 8277 $34,331 Retail Trade 9043 $34,388 Administrative and Waste Services 3965 $35,269 Arts,Entertainment,and Recreation 1105 $39,317 Natural Resources and Mining 2293 $40,287 Cather Services Except Public Administration 420 $41,249 Manufacturing 3247 $41,393 Service Providing 4832 $43,107 Health Care and Social Assistance 7455 $45,111 Transportation and Warehousing 2006 $46,592 Educational Services 1116 $49,899 I Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1112 $51,050 Federal 13793 $63,278 Construction 591 $65,304 Information 534 $70,000 State 1349 $71,495 Professional and Technical Services 1539 $71,506 County 2780 $71,549 Finance and Insurance 1211 $74,750 Management of Companies and Enterprises 281 $79,317 Link to report here: lit s://file.h w ii.�c�vfdbedtle On r icld t r p rtsr'DLIR/LFII QCEW ES2029.9df Based on these figures and data,this is representative of jobs or positions such as food service and hospitality industry workers, health care and education system employees,and general commodities retail businesses. These fundamental service provider positions are essential to the social and economic stability of our community and many of those employers are currently facing challenges with recruitment and retention. Further,the location of the proposed project may likely reduce their transportation burdens and afford residents with options and choices that span a broad spectrum of transportation modes. I further urge the Council to advocate for all proposed workforce housing projects to include childcare facilities within the plan of the proposed projects.The PATCH Hawaii website (https://www.patchhawaii.org/find-child-care/)shows that in the Waikoloa area (zip code 96738)there are a total of 4-licensed childcare providers with a current total of 4 openings. Expanding the search to a 10 mile radius beyond Waikoloa adds 5 additional providers and 9 current openings. Holistic support for our working families is critical to realize our vision of a vibrant Hawaii which includes strong'ohana and thriving communities. I Mahalo for the opportunity to provide testimony in support of Bill 112. 1 strongly encourage your passage of this measure. th aloha, Ry is Ikeda Executive Director Vibrant Hawaii i i I i i i