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The Maui News
The state Office of Planning and Sustainable Development is applying for a $9.9 million federal grant to help generate thousands of new affordable homes in Hawaii, Gov. Josh Green announced Wednesday.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing grant program aims to reduce barriers to affordable housing production by helping local communities address infrastructure challenges as well as land use and regulatory barriers, according to a news release from the Governor's Office.
According to the Office of Planning and Sustainable Development, the application will help unlock the production of at least 10,800 new housing units within the next six years. Over time and with additional infrastructure, the proposal aims to unlock up to 30,000 new units.
Specifically, the proposal will:
• Increase capacity to address eight key barriers in producing affordable accessible housing, including inadequate infrastructure, land use restrictions, zoning and other regulatory, administrative and legislative barriers.
• Create new financing mechanisms, including a Statewide Infrastructure Bank, to expand the available funds for infrastructure and housing construction.
• Accelerate the strategic deployment of critical infrastructure to unlock at least 10,800 housing units across the state. According to the Office of Housing, infrastructure on Maui could help unlock about 200 units at Kahekili Terrace, which the state is considering expanding under a plan to redevelop its public housing inventory across the state.
The program's grant awards range from $1 million to $10 million.
The state's application for the grant is available at governor.hawaii.gov/housing/. It is not related to the emergency proclamation on affordable housing, the Governor's Office said.
Comments on the application can be emailed to gov.housing.testimony@hawaii.gov or mailed to Housing Team, c/o Office of the Governor, 415 S. Beretania St., Suite 415, Honolulu, HI 96813.
An in-person and virtual public hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Hawai'i Housing Finance and Development Corporation's meeting room at 677 Queen St., No. 300, in Honolulu.
To join the meeting virtually, visit zoom.us/join and enter the meeting ID 891 7282 6626 and passcode 849424.
To join by phone, dial (253) 205-0468 and enter the meeting ID 891 7282 6626 and passcode 849424.