HI SCR165

Office of Planning requested to establish an agricultural housing task force to analyze laws, rules, and processes for constructing safe, sanitary, and affordable on-farm employee housing within state agricultural districts on active commercial farms.

Task force objectives include studying existing county and state laws, identifying barriers to employee housing construction, evaluating modular and portable housing solutions, creating separate legal designations for housing without permanent foundations, and proposing a unified master use application process applicable statewide.

Task force composition includes Director of Office of Planning (chair), Chairperson of Board of Agriculture, Deputy Director of Department of Health's Environmental Health Administration, Chairperson of Land Use Commission, representatives from each county's zoning and planning departments, two agricultural association representatives, and one public interest housing organization representative.

Preliminary report with findings and recommendations due twenty days before the 2021 legislative session; draft guide on existing approval processes due before 2022 session; final report due before 2025 session.

Office of Planning to provide administrative and clerical support to the task force.