A bill requiring at least $5 million be budgeted annually for affordable housing projects passed the County Council on first reading Wednesday, despite some council members’ concerns that they don’t know how the money will be spent.
Bill 160, sponsored by Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz, is a terse, one-page measure allocating at least $5 million annually to the Office of Housing and Community Development “to facilitate programs that support affordable housing production.”
Kierkiewicz said the department could draft rules to detail how the money would be used.
Several council members were not comfortable with the vague wording in the bill, saying they supported bolstering funding for affordable housing, but they wanted to see definitions and plans for how the money would be spent.
“Affordable housing production — that’s kind of an open ended thing,” said Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball. “I think we all agree the intentions are good. … Personally I would rather have some codifying language, especially in the definitions.”
“The primary purpose we have here on the dais is that accountability to the funding,” added Hilo Councilwoman Sue Lee Loy. “These are the checks and balances that need to happen while we continue to support all the good work that’s (being done) … We need to demonstrate to the community how the money — their tax dollars — are going to help.”
Housing Administrator Susan Kunz assured the council there would be public notification and input into the rule-making process as required by state law.
“The state law is pretty intentional about notifying people and ensuring they have a chance to comment,” Kunz said.
She made note of a “draft housing program proposal” that was apparently shared with some council members but was not a part of the public record.
Kunz identified “affordable housing production” as “any activity that is helping us produce more housing.”
That didn’t satisfy Puna Councilman Matt Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder, who called Finance Director Deanna Sako and Corporation Counsel Elizabeth Strance to the table to get more information.
“All these funds are being set aside with really great intention but your agency needs to have some plan going forward,” Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder said.
Kierkiewicz said she’d speak with the administration about refining the definitions, but she didn’t want the language too precise.
“I want to shy away from the minutia about how the agency administers the program,” Kierkiewicz said. “We are taking action to ensure there are homes … that there are homes for people to actually move into.”
After more back-and-forth, however, Kierkiewicz promised there would be a bill forthcoming on July 5 tightening down the language, and Bill 160 passed its first of two readings on a 7-1 vote, with Kaneali‘i-Kleinfelder voting no and Kohala Councilman Tim Richards absent.