Mayor Victorino issues statement on Maui County Council's decision to file Bill 10
News Release from Maui County, May 7, 2021
Mayor Michael Victorino issued a statement on today’s decision by the Maui County Council to file Bill 10. The bill would have delayed affordable housing project approvals and decreased the availability of workforce housing at the taxpayers’ expense. Mayor Victorino vetoed the bill on April 19, 2021.
“The good intentions behind this bill were never in question; my concern was about the unintended outcomes. I appreciate Councilmember Kelly King for joining Maui County Council Chair Alice Lee and Councilmember Yuki-Lei Sugimura in reconsidering our working families’ urgent need for attainable housing. While no single proposal can solve our current housing shortage, we know from previous experience that Bill 10 would not have produced the housing we need. My administration looks forward to working with the entire County Council on new creative ways to develop workforce housing, as well as affordable low-income housing, without delay.”
MN: Bill to raise affordable housing requirements dies
* * * * *
Mayor Victorino vetoes Bill 10
News Release from Maui County , April 20, 2021
Yesterday Maui County Mayor Michael Victorino submitted his opposition to Bill 10 out of his deep concern for County residents who urgently need housing.
“I certainly appreciate the Maui County Council’s good intentions behind this legislation. In theory, Bill 10 would require more affordable housing to be built, but in reality, history has shown that such additional restrictions have the opposite effect,” explained Mayor Victorino. “I am concerned that increasing affordability requirements mirrors changes made to the Residential Workforce Housing Policy by the Council fifteen years ago. Only three workforce housing units were developed between 2006 and 2014. Councilmembers at that time reverted back to the original affordability requirements, which yielded hundreds of new homes. Our hardworking families simply can’t afford to wait years to see if it will work this time around. Maui County is still recovering from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and if we fail to learn from the mistakes of our predecessors, we are destined to repeat them.”
Mayor Victorino specified his objections to Bill 10 by citing Maui County’s Countywide Policy Plan that identifies a variety of goals, objectives, policies and actions toward expanding housing opportunities for our residents that the Council could pursue, none of which are included in Bill 10. “To expand housing for our residents, the Countywide Policy Plan calls for innovative thinking, public-private partnerships, streamlining review processes, infrastructure development and many other policies that we should be working towards,” explained Mayor Victorino.
Mayor Victorino believes Bill 10 adds another layer of regulation that would further delay development of workforce housing and increase costs to residents. He believes streamlining regulations and improving predictability in planning, permitting and Council review processes is necessary for developers to move large affordable housing projects forward.
“We must consider our teachers, plumbers, firefighters, nurses and all other skilled professionals who keep our community strong. These hard-working citizens will be hurt most by this policy,” said Mayor Victorino. “We know from experience that more restrictions result in fewer homes. Instead, let’s work together with all parties to find creative ways to encourage construction of more housing that our working families need so urgently.”
---30---
Coverage:
Background: