Posted at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, August 23, 2007
Affordable Housing Fund on Maui gets early approval
By MELISSA TANJI
The Maui News
Provisions of the bill would allow the county to build or buy housing, or award grants and loans for organizations providing affordable housing. Second-and-final reading is scheduled for the next council meeting on Sept. 7.
The Affordable Housing Fund was established by a 2006 charter amendment, setting aside 2 percent of the county's real property tax revenues over four fiscal years for the fund. In its initial year, the allocation from real property tax revenues amounts to $4 million.
Any funds provided through the county's Residential Workforce Housing Policy will also go to the fund. The Residential Workforce Housing Policy, which requires affordable housing in new developments, allows developers to pay a fee instead of developing affordable housing or donating land.
Finance Director Kalbert Young said affordable housing funds will be available for allocation when the council finalizes the implementation law and projects for funding are identified. Housing and Human Concerns Director Vanessa Medeiros will administer the fund.
In other matters taken up at the regular council meeting Tuesday:
The park dedication will satisfy the county's park requirement for the subdivision.
Noting that the county will be responsible for maintenance, Johnson and Anderson said the park should at least have a restroom. They also pointed out that parks planners said in a previous meeting that the park could include a Tee-ball field, small basketball court and a soccer field.
Parks Director Tamara Horcajo explained that standards for the Waiolani park were approved "prior to our time." She said Waiolani developers have worked with three administrations. The current administration accepted the conditions as is because she wanted to have some consistency.
Public Works Co-Chairman Mike Victorino explained that the change would allow parks officials to check for camping permits earlier in the evening when campers are still awake. If there are any problems during the checks, parks officials will be able to call police in the evening rather than in the early-morning hours, which could disturb other campers.
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