REQUESTING THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL TO DEVELOP AND ADOPT BASIC SHELTER STANDARDS TO ENABLE LOW-COST, RAPID-DEPLOYMENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS.

This House Resolution requests the State Building Code Council to create a new set of basic shelter standards that would allow for low-cost, rapidly deployable housing solutions during emergencies. The bill aims to address Hawaii's housing shortages by establishing minimum safety and sanitation requirements for temporary housing like prefabricated units and single-wall homes, which currently cannot be built under standard building codes due to stricter permanent housing requirements. These basic shelter standards would only be used during declared emergency proclamations for natural disasters or other crises, and the housing would be limited to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to prevent profit-driven misuse. The resolution also includes a pathway for these temporary units to be converted to permanent housing if they later meet full building code standards, while requiring consultation with local officials and stakeholders to ensure the standards are appropriate for Hawaii's climate and cultural context.