LUC separates housing facts from myth

The state Land Use Commission feels that the public should have a clear understanding of the land use process in Hawaii. A recent commentary was blatantly misinformed and not supported by available data (“State LUC may be choking off additional housing,” Island Voices, Star-Advertiser, Dec. 20). A cursory review of the facts will reveal that the Land Use Commission is not the cause of, nor does it contribute to, the shortage of housing in Hawaii. In fact, the persistence of this myth has hindered development of solutions to the housing shortage.

There is very limited available land in Hawaii and a number of competing uses. The LUC balances developing housing against preservation of the agricultural industry. Agricultural capability can easily be lost through fragmentation of land needed for production. There is an obligation to protect this essential industry rooted in our economy and culture.

The commission has approved nearly 1,000 homes in the past three years and has approved over 28,080 in the past decade despite the recession. It has approved every housing and industrial project that has filed a complete petition. The LUC currently has three low-income housing proposals in process.

The number of homes approved by the LUC is limited by the number of applications filed, which is dictated by market forces. Once an application is complete, the LUC approves projects within an average of six months. By law, it must act within a year.

The LUC has received only three filings with a housing component since 2013. One was withdrawn, one is completing its environmental impact statement and the other is scheduled to be heard in February. A “filing” with the LUC does not mean a project is complete such that it can move forward. In most cases, project proposals are filed long before they are ready to go.

The commission has maintained a steadfast position of balancing the needs of the public for housing and economic development against the need to protect land for agriculture, water, Hawaiian rights and assets, and the environment. Balancing these competing interests is a duty that LUC commissioners take very seriously and have not wavered on throughout the past few decades.

The LUC is tasked with protecting the public’s interests, making sure that our water, cultural resources, tax dollars (for roads and schools) and infrastructure, our most limited and precious assets, are not destroyed. The LUC forces good planning so that homes do not spring up in places that exacerbate traffic and infrastructure costs.

Causes of the state housing shortage are complicated. Statistics do not support the contention that the LUC restricts the development of housing in Hawaii.

Just a cursory review of LUC records reveals that on Oahu alone there are over 25,300 units approved by the LUC that have never been built or progressing to construction. Over the past 10 years, an average of nearly 3,000 homes per year were approved despite the recession.

It has been estimated that it takes 10 years for a project to get from concept to building. The remaining nine years are taken up at the county level where the community issues, infrastructure and affordable housing as well as engineering and design are discussed. This is completely different from the LUC analysis.

Because of the costs associated with infrastructure development and labor, housing generally costs more in Hawaii and is harder to build. While we do not advocate shifting the burden of infrastructure costs and traffic improvements to the taxpayer, the real issues hindering the development of housing in Hawaii must be addressed in a factual manner.