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Senate housing committee passes Kamaʻāina Homes bill with amendments aimed at preserving local ownership
Summary
The Committee on Housing advanced HB 17-32 HD2 (Kamaʻāina Homes) with amendments changing funding source, tightening buyer requirements, capping pilot funding and requiring annual reporting; supporters urged preservation of homes for locals while opponents warned the bill lacks safeguards to prevent benefits accruing to higher-income buyers.
The Senate Committee on Housing passed HB 17-32 HD2, the Kamaʻāina Homes program bill, on March 24 after adopting a slate of amendments intended to focus state support on preserving deed-restricted residences for long-term local residents.
Chair Chang told the committee the bill would establish a program within the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to provide funds to counties to purchase voluntary deed restrictions from eligible homebuyers, with a sunset date of June 30, 2032. "This bill establishes the Kamaʻāina Homes program within the HHFDC to provide funding to the counties to purchase voluntary deed restrictions from eligible homebuyers," the chair said in her introduction.
Supporters from counties, nonprofit groups and business organizations told the committee the…
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