The following testimony was submitted by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii for consideration by the House Committee on Housing on Feb. 4, 2026.
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Feb. 4, 2026, 9 a.m.
Hawaii State Capitol
Conference Room 430and Videoconference
To: House Committee on Housing
Rep. Luke Evslin, Chair
Rep. Tyson Miyake, Vice Chair
From: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
Ted Kefalas, Director of Strategic Campaigns
RE: TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF HB1739 — RELATING TO DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS
Aloha Chair, Vice Chair and other members of the Committee,
The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii supports HB1739, which would prohibit counties from restricting the construction of buildings with “transit-supportive densities” in county-designated transit-oriented development zones.
Practically, this legislation would allow larger buildings to be built near Honolulu’s Skyline rail stops — and it would thus be a step toward expanding housing opportunities in those areas.
Act 159 (2025) defined “transit-supportive densities” as properties with floor area ratios of at least 4, 6 or 7 — depending on how close the structure would be to the rail line. Additionally, under that law, the permits for these projects must be approved without a public vote by a planning commission or a county council.
That law tied certain state funding to the legalization of denser buildings near the Skyline rail or in any county-designated transit-oriented development zone. This bill, on the other hand, would explicitly require that all such construction be allowed.
Thank you for the opportunity to testify.
Ted Kefalas
Director of Strategic Campaigns
Grassroot Institute of Hawaii
