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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-18 Bill 121 Joja From: Joia To: LPCtestimonv Subject: Opposition to bill 121 Date: Thursday,April 18,2024 3:50:32 PM Aloha I am adamantly opposed to bill 121. If passed,this bill sets a dangerous precedent of unethical and extremely problematic government control over individual rights to have sovereignty over how one lives on one's personal property. We see from numerous testimonies that Hawaii Island is full of everyday people who live in unconventional ways and the types of laws that apply to Oahu or NYC are by no stretch appropriate to a place like Hawaii Island. This is why we choose to live here and yet so many of us are struggling financially and we rely on our STR's to pay our mortgages. I hear of single mothers raising small children who rely on an STR as their only form of income. I hear of people who live in a non-traditional dwelling and rent the main house because this is the only way they can stay afloat. I hear of people who have ageing parents on the mainland and would lose their business if their parents needed them because they are not legally allowed to hire an operator to take their place as host. To pass an across the board bill that has no way to allow for such an array of specific and unique circumstances is irresponsible and extremely short sighted. Our elected officials are tasked with representing the voice of the people, not the hotel industries. Listen to the people. I hear that this bill has been drafted in response to complaints. Why not address those complaints on a case by case basis as opposed to putting people who have had no complaints and have been operating successfully for years out of business? I hear that this bill is in response to a housing crisis and yet every STR owner I speak to tells me they would not transition their STR into a long term rental because it is their home and they don't want to deal with squatters who damage their home and laws that are in heavy favor of tenants and not landlords. If you truly want to address the housing shortage then allocate funds for people to build affordable ohanas that they live in or rent out. Streamline and simplify the permitting process so that it is simple and efficient and can allow people to generate solutions to the housing shortage in an affordable and timely manner. But don't target STRs that are allowing our community members to stay financially afloat and that are supporting the local economy. Locally run accommodations allow visitors to experience true Aloha and true Hawaii outside of big wig resorts -this kind of experience cultivates reverence for our precious islands and our unique culture here. I am a Hokule'a crew member, I have worked at the Bishop Museum,the Waikiki Aquarium, and as a biologist with endangered Hawaiian monk seals on the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. I select guests responsibly, I show them Aloha, and I educate them on how unique and sacred these islands are. My neighbors are aware and they actually appreciate being able to chat over the fence with people from all over the world. I have never had a single complaint. This law would put so many locals out of business and force them to lose their homes, and all they have worked so hard for to ensure the future of their children. This bill hurts local families. Please vote against bill 121, at the very least until an EIS is performed and far more consideration is put into how to protect and not harm local livelihoods in an increasingly challenging economic climate. Thank you for taking the time to read my testimony.