SB 70 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO HOUSING.

Summary

Requires eligible applicants of the Rental Housing Revolving Fund to be either governmental agencies or organizations that are required to use all financial surplus, excluding fees, to develop additional housing in the State. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Housing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 8, 2025 Last action Feb 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

SB70 → SB70_SD1 · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill clarifies that organizations receiving Rental Housing Revolving Fund money must either be government agencies or nonprofit/for-profit entities that reinvest all financial surplus (excluding fees) into new housing development. The change adds 'excluding fees to the organizations' to prevent organizations from using fee income to fund non-housing purposes, ensuring taxpayer-funded housing value stays within the housing system. Kukui Gardens is cited as an example of why this restriction is needed to prevent subsidized housing from being sold and profits diverted away from housing.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the Rental Housing Revolving Fund, but eligibility criteria are tightened to ensure surplus funds are recycled into housing development rather than diverted to charitable donations or other uses.

ELIGIBILITY

Added requirement that eligible organizations must use all financial surplus, excluding fees to the organizations, to develop additional housing in the State

Clarified that government agencies are eligible applicants for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund

REQUIREMENT

Included specific example of Kukui Gardens to illustrate the problem of subsidized housing being sold and proceeds used for non-housing purposes

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 3, 2025

Committee

Reported from HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 7) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to WAM.

upper

Jan 28, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Aquino, Kanuha; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Hashimoto ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.

upper

Jan 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 01-28-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 16, 2025

Committee

Referred to HOU, WAM.

upper

Jan 15, 2025

Introduced

Introduced and passed First Reading.

upper

Jan 8, 2025

Introduced

Pending Introduction.

upper

3 primary · 2 co-sponsors