HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0236.077 2024-2026ASHLEY L. KIERKIEWICZ, CHAIR and
MICHELLE M. GALIMBA, VICE CHAIR,
HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL, POLICY COMMITTEE ON
PLANNING, LAND USE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MEETING DATE: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
TIME: 9:00 am
PLACE: Hilo
P /Council
15i[I 47
Comm •2!%,
Hawaii Island
\ Rental Property
RE: OPPOSITION TO BILL 47, Draft 1
Dear Chair Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair Galimba, and Council Committee Members: .0
The Hawaii Island Rental Property Alliance (HIRPA) represents the short- and mid-term rental
property industry on Hawaii Island. We respectfully request that the Council defer further action
on Bill 47 until after the release and review of the County's economic impact study on short- and
mid-term rentals.
We understand and appreciate that the Council's intent with this bill is to improve transparency,
accountability, and regulatory clarity. We also recognize your difficult position —trying to
address legitimate community concerns around housing, land use, and the changing nature of our
tourism economy.
But we must also acknowledge many residents' deep uncertainty and fear. For over two years,
community members testified emotionally and consistently during deliberations on Bill 121.
Many of those who spoke up were not scofflaws —they were residents supplementing their
income, families living on agricultural land where working the land is no longer (or never was)
fiscally sustainable, and local folks operating out of unpermitted or legacy -built structures they
inherited or bought in good faith.
Public trust was damaged when the harshest amendments were introduced late in that process
and later withdrawn. Even though the Council may not share those intentions, many in the
community understandably remain wary that registration today could become enforcement
tomorrow, especially without explicit protections.
This is why timing and transparency matter.
The County commissioned an economic impact study precisely because there is still so much we
don't know: How many operators are out there? What is the real relationship between short-term
rentals and housing availability? How does this sector contribute to local livelihoods and the
broader economy? Even if all estimates are correct, is a 2% decrease in rents worth the income
lost to residents who need it to supplement their own housing security?
Comm. No.6
Ref. Tooil
Ref. Dote MAY 2 1 2025
To move forward with -sweeping registration before having that data in hand sends the message
that the decision has already been made, regardless of what the study shows..
HIRPA recommends a different path:
1. Defer Bill 47 until the impact study is released and used to clearly define what problem
we are solving, what outcomes are desired, and how any regulation will be measured for
success, if needed.
2. Use subsequent survey data to shape a well -targeted registration program —one that
protects voluntary registrants from punitive enforcement in the future, when they self -
identify code issues or zoning non -conformities in good faith.
3. Include a limited -time amnesty period for registration and compliance, acknowledging
the widespread reality of unpermitted structures and the economic role these rentals play
for many local families.
This isn't about avoiding regulation, it's about ensuring it's grounded, fair, and effective.
We want to contribute to a solution that balances community needs, housing goals, and economic
sustainability. But we cannot rebuild trust with assumptions. We must build it with data, clarity,
and compassion.
Mahalo, for the opportunity to testify and for your continued service to our island community.
Jennifer Wilkinson, Board Chair
Hawaii Island Rental Property Alliance