RELATING TO HOUSING.

HB374

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

374

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to housing
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

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SECTION
1
.
�
Section 201H-31, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended to read as follows:

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"[
[
]�201H-31[
]
]
�
Criteria.
�

(a)
�
In
administering this chapter
and other laws of the State
applicable to the supplying of housing or the assistance in obtaining housing
,

the corporation shall give preference to those
applicants most in need of assistance in obtaining housing, in light of the
amount of moneys available for the various programs
.
�
In doing so, the corporation shall take into
consideration the applicant's household income and number of dependents; the
age of the applicant; the physical disabilities of the applicant or those
living with the applicant; whether or not the present housing of the applicant
is below standard; whether or not the applicant's need for housing has arisen
by reason of displacement of the applicant by governmental actions;
the
proximity between the housing location and the applicant's place of employment;
whether the applicant is a state or county employee; whether the applicant is a
returning resident that left the State to attend a university, college, or
trade school and has graduated within the past two years;
and other factors
as it may deem pertinent.
�
The
corporation may allow households with incomes up to twenty per cent greater
than the income on which the maximum sales price was based to be qualified to
purchase a unit.

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(b)
�

For any project developed or administered by the corporation under this
chapter, the corporation shall, when feasible, set aside as a matter of preference
no fewer than per cent of the available units
for state or county employees.

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(c)
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The corporation shall:

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(1)
�
Determine the order of preferences
as outlined in this section and rank all applicants accordingly;

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(2)
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Select applicants based on
application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants; and

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(3)
�
Validate the preference status of an
applicant before occupancy of an affordable unit.

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(d)
�

The corporation may establish additional eligibility criteria in
administrative rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91.
"

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SECTION
2
.
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Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION
3
.
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This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

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Report Title:

Hawaii
State Association of Counties Package; HHFDC; Housing Development Programs;
Criteria; Preferences; Ranking; Housing Location Proximity; State and County Employees;
Returning Resident Graduates; Reserved Units; Rules

Description:

Requires
the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to consider as a
preference under chapter 201H, HRS, the proximity between the housing location
and the applicant's place of employment; whether the applicant is a state or
county employee; and whether the applicant is a returning resident that left
the State to attend a university, college, or trade school and has graduated
within the past two years.
�
Requires, for
any project developed or administered by the HHFDC under chapter 201, HRS, the HHFDC
to set aside as a matter of preference an undetermined per cent of available
units for state or county employees, when feasible.
�
Requires HHFDC to determine the order of
preferences and rank applicants accordingly, select applicants based on
application date within the pool of similarly ranked applicants, and validate
the preference status of applicants before occupancy of a unit.
�
Authorizes HHFDC to adopt rules to establish
additional eligibility criteria.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.