URGENT: Testify in support of SB534 by Tuesday, Jan. 28!
SB534 is scheduled for joint public hearing before the Senate Committees on (1) Water and Land (WAL); (2) Hawaiian Affairs (HWN); and (3) Housing (HOU) on Wednesday, January 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Submit Testimony by Tuesday, January 28 at 1:00 p.m.
Testimony received after the deadline will be accepted, but will be considered late. If you wish to testify via videoconference, you must also submit written testimony.
View the Bill | View the Status and Submit Testimony
Summary of SB534 Relating to the Hawai‘i Community Development Authority:
- In 2012, the State conveyed the Kaka‘ako Makai lands to OHA as settlement of $200,000,000 in unpaid revenues owed to OHA under the Hawai‘i State Constitution and Hawai‘i Revised Statues Chapter 10.
- The value was based on projected residential development of the Kaka‘ako Makai lands, but residential use is currently banned.
- SB534 would repeal the residential use ban, enable OHA to capture the full value of Kaka‘ako Makai lands to expand lāhui services, and create a Hawaiian sense of place in the heart of urban Honolulu.
- SB534 would also enable construction of affordable housing for Hawai‘i residents making less than 140% of the Area Median Income (AMI).
- Specifically, SB534 would authorize construction of residential towers along Ala Moana Boulevard up to 400 feet, subject to the provision that 50% + 1 unit in any tower would be reserved for affordable workforce housing.
- Priority for affordable housing would be given to residents working in six essential industries: health care, hospitality, education, law enforcement, civil service, and construction
- SB534 would also provide funding through association fees to maintain existing public infrastructure including the lei of green promenade.

SAMPLE TESTIMONY
Aloha Chairs Inouye, Richards, and Chang and members of the Senate Committees on Water and Land, Hawaiian Affairs, and Housing:
I SUPPORT SB534 for the following reasons:
- SB534 will give OHA the authority to develop residential housing on specific parcels in Kaka‘ako Makai, as originally envisioned when OHA and the legislature reached a historic settlement of past due amounts in 2012.
- Further, by raising residential height limits along Ala Moana Boulevard, this bill will enable OHA to maximize the value of Kaka‘ako Makai lands as intended by the 2012 settlement, and generate revenue to expand programs and services including loans and grants that directly benefit Native Hawaiians.
- Finally, SB534 helps address Hawai‘i’s critical need for affordable and workforce housing, by giving local families and essential workers the opportunity to live, work, and thrive in urban Honolulu through its workforce housing mandate.
I am personally concerned about the housing crisis in Hawai‘i. We need to build more affordable housing for residents making less than 140% of Hawai‘i’s median income, and this bill does just that. At the same, the bill maintains existing open space along the waterfront and dedicates funding for public infrastructure and more public access, setting the standard for developments across the islands.
In summary, passage of SB534 would be a critical step forward in creating systemic housing change, addressing development inequities, and fulfilling promises made to Native Hawaiians by the State of Hawai‘i. Mahalo nui for the opportunity to submit testimony.
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