The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs on March 11, 2025.
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March 11, 2025, 3: 02 p.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 016 and Videoconference
To: Senate Committee on Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs
Sen. Glenn Wakai, Chair
Sen. Stanley Chang, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: HB1406 HD1 — RELATING TO GOVERNMENT PROCEDURES
Aloha Chair Wakai, Vice-Chair Chang and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute supports HB1406 HD1, which would establish the Intergovernmental Task Force for Permit Simplification with the goal of identifying and analyzing ways to streamline and coordinate state and intergovernmental permit processes.
This bill deserves praise for encouraging thoughtful permitting reform.
In addition to slowing housing growth, Hawaii’s notorious permit delays add significantly to the price of housing in our state. According to “The Hawai’i Housing Factbook,” produced by The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i, the median permit processing time between mid-2018 and mid-2023 across the state was 161 days.[1]
A recent report from the Grassroot Institute, “Seven low cost ways to speed up permitting in Hawaii,” provides a potential road map for commonsense permit reform.[2] In particular, we suggest that the task force consider increasing permit exemptions, utilizing third-party approvals and adopting a meaningful “shot clock.” The task force should also consider implementing a program that would grandfather existing dwellings that were built without permits.
It might be possible to reduce permitting delays with more staff or better software, but ultimately only reform of the permitting regulations themselves will make lasting inroads into resolving our housing crisis.
We urge the Committee to pass HB1406.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of strategic campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
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[1] Justin Tyndall, Daniela Bond-Smith and Rachel Inafuku, “The Hawai’i Housing Factbook,” The Economic Research Organization at the University of Hawai‘i, June 28, 2023, p. 19.
[2] Jonathan Helton, “Seven low cost ways to speed up permitting in Hawaii,” Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, October 2024, p. 14.
