HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0675.092 2022-2024 COUNTY OF HAWA a
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers,
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We have been closely following the development of Bill 121, and it has raised significant concerns
for both us and our community.At a time when increasing housing supply is of utmost importance,
Bill 121 proposes stringent regulations and additional bureaucratic hurdles to the already complex
issue of housing. Our community has learned the hard way that excessive regulation only hampers
housing supply. Bill 121 suggests imposing even more regulations and barriers on individuals
looking to expand housing options by restricting what they can do with their homes and properties.
This is worrisome, especially since it's already incredibly challenging for members of our
community to engage in construction due to high costs.Those who take the risk to build and
subsequently struggle financially are at risk of losing everything they've invested.
The housing crisis is a massive problem,and Bill 121's approach runs counter to what we truly
need:your support for growth, rather than additional regulations and restrictions. Bill 121
introduces more restrictions, red tape,and even attempts to regulate who can share a room. It
limits the ability to rent for periods ranging from 30 to 180 days,which doesn't accommodate
people who require flexibility in renting for work-related travel or other circumstances.We require a
free housing market to address the shortage of housing units in our community, and imposing
limitations on how our housing can be used will only discourage builders,investors,and new
developments. In contrast to Bill 121,we urge you to support efforts to reduce restrictions and
encourage housing growth within our community.
Many communities have demonstrated that reducing barriers is essential to creating new housing
opportunities. By introducing more restrictions,this bill discourages infill and new development,
ultimately leading to economic stagnation. Each new restriction adds another layer of complexity
and dissuades individuals from committing to construction projects.Our community, including
myself, lacks confidence in building because we never know when our rights to rent our homes will
be threatened by new restrictive housing bills.
Allow me to illustrate this point using our case as an example.We developed our farm on five acres
under the current regulations,which allowed us the flexibility to rent when necessary and provided
a sufficient budget to construct a detached bedroom for an Operator. Our plan included not only
the benefits of an active coffee farm but also an affordable bedroom to help manage the farm.
Based on the maximum number of rooms we can build under the existing regulations;our design
included a ratio of 4-1 bedrooms to affordable bedrooms since our intention was to subsidize the
room for the Operator.This ratio significantly exceeds the number of affordable rooms typically
found in most"affordable developments,"which often have ratios of 10-1 or 12-1 retail units to
affordable rooms. Unfortunately,these plans came to a halt as Bill 121 developed,as it would
impose additional restrictions in an already costly housing market. Consequently,we have been
forced to postpone all our plans and can only use the property solely for agriculture,without any
housing, until we can have confidence that the regulatory landscape has stabilized in favor of less
restrictions.
Comm. .QL
Ref. To:
Ref. Date , AN 2 3 2024
We are not alone in this situation, as we are aware of others facing similar dilemmas,questioning
whether they can afford to build due to excessive regulation and restrictions.Therefore,we
earnestly request your strong support in opposing Bill 121 and voting against it.The proponents of
this bill lack compelling evidence,data,and merit,and their efforts are detrimental to our housing
situation. Our homes are one of our most valuable assets.We ask you to vote down Bill 121 so that
we can increase housing availability and better utilize underdeveloped land to foster.our
community's growth with the flexibility we need.
We sincerely appreciate your time, leadership,and support for our community during these
challenging times.
Sincerely,
Matt Ward&Christel Smith