Governor Josh Green, M.D., today signed the second Emergency Proclamation relating to Affordable Housing, to tackle Hawaiʻi’s decades-long housing crisis and to build thousands of new affordable homes in Hawaiʻi. 

The new EP is a continuation of the work launched by the Green Administration and housing stakeholders in to eliminate the barriers to developing affordable housing. 

State officials say it “prioritizes the many state and county affordable housing projects, which aim to create thousands of new low-income and workforce housing units throughout the state.”

“It was always about affordable housing. We listened to the public and we clarified that the EP is about affordable housing and for helping families affected by the housing crisis,” Gov. Green said. “This new EP focuses on what we all agree will push forward new affordable housing projects.” 

Gov. Green provided the following highlights:  

• Adds “affordable” housing to the title. This change reiterates the focus of the Build Beyond Barriers Working Group on pushing forward affordable housing development in Hawaiʻi; 
• Excludes the area affected by the Lahaina wildfires, whose boundaries are marked by the state’s Lahaina wildfire map (See attached map below). This change clarifies that the EP does not apply to the region of Lahaina. The rebuilding of Lahaina will begin only when the residents of Lahaina are ready and according to the timeline they choose; 
• Reinstates the state Sunshine Law for Build Beyond Barriers Working Group meetings. Meetings will be conducted in accordance with Sunshine Law and will be virtual, with testifiers to speak only on agenda items with a strict two-minute time limit to summarize their written or verbal testimony; 
• Restores HRS Chapter 6E relating to the Historic Preservation Law; 
• Restores HRS Chapter 343 relating to Environmental Impact Statements; 
• Rescinds the exemption for projects larger than 15 acres and less than 100 acres from going before the state Land Use Commission for zoning and other approvals. After careful analysis, it was found that less than a handful of private real estate projects will benefit from this section of the EP. 

“There are some significant changes in the latest EP,” said Governor Green. “What is unchanged, is our administration’s unwavering commitment to cut red tape and build more affordable homes for Hawaiʻi residents.”