Mayor Mitch Roth signed into law Bill 72, establishing an affordable housing preference for Hawaiʻi County residents.

The measure, which was spearheaded by Council Chair Heather Kimball and Vice Chair Holeka Goro Inaba, amends key provisions of Hawaiʻi County’s Affordable Housing Policy (Hawaiʻi County Code Chapter 11) to enhance access to affordable housing for those living and working on Hawaiʻi Island.

Bill 72 revises the definition of an “eligible buyer” to mean a person who meets eligibility requirements, including income limitations, as established by the chapter or by rule. This change broadens the eligibility criteria, potentially allowing more residents to qualify for affordable housing.

In addition, the bill adds language defining three types of qualified applicants for affordable housing: a “qualified resident,” a “qualified returning student,” and a “qualified worker.” These new definitions aim to provide a more comprehensive framework for determining eligibility based on residency and employment within the County.

The third amendment to Chapter 11 establishes preference criteria for affordable housing applicants. It outlines specific applicant preferences based on the three new definitions listed above. The housing administrator is given the authority to set the order of preferences and the selection process for applicants for any given County-managed affordable housing project.

In a press release Mayor Roth said, “Our local kids and their families are our number one priority. Signing Bill 72 into law solidifies our County’s commitment to our people and ensures they will legally have preference in receiving housing under our County’s Affordable Housing Policy. We would like to thank the visionary efforts of Council Chair Kimball and Councilman Inaba for seeing this much-needed piece of legislation through from draft to signing. Our County is better off today because of collective leadership grounded in the prosperity of future generations.”

 

Photo credit: Office of Mayor Mitch Roth