WAILUKU - Two bills have been introduced to the Maui County Council to provide affordable housing by allowing ohana homes on smaller parcels of land, said Council Vice Chairman Mike Molina, who submitted the measures.
"The county is suffering from a lack of affordable rental and work force housing," Molina said. "The two draft bills will provide the county another tool in its arsenal to help meet the demands for affordable housing."
The bills would permit ohana homes, also called accessory dwelling units, on property of 6,000 square feet or more in residential areas.
Currently, an accessory dwelling is allowed on property of 7,500 square feet or more. The new measure would apply only to housing for an immediate family member or for a low-income resident.
"The intention of the two draft bills is to create new housing stock, to ensure that the units remain affordable and to provide a mechanism for homeowners to assist in the affordable housing crisis," Molina said. "We must seek new and innovative methods for meeting the demands of affordable housing."
The measures don't specifically define "affordable," although one of the bills says monthly rental rates would be set by the county Department of Housing and Human Concerns based on federal Department of Housing and Urban Development income limits.
One of the bills also would allow an increase in the square footage of ohana units and require that they remain affordable.
The measure requires that a deed restriction be placed on the property for the duration of the ohana unit.
The deed restriction would ensure the ohana unit remain affordable and prevent speculation on the property.
"We at the council must weigh the effect the economic crisis has on our families and their ability to afford good quality housing," Molina said. "We should no longer allow our families to leave the island because they are unable to afford a home."
The council member said he expects issues such as sufficient infrastructure, density, lot size and illegal ohana units to be part of the council's review of the bills.
"The matter requires full discussion at the council level to determine the viability of achieving affordable housing with this approach," he said.
The bills are among communication items on the council's agenda Friday. The measures are expected to be referred to committee. The council meeting begins at 9 a.m. in the eighth-floor Council Chambers of the Kalana O Maui Building.
