The Housing Team within the Office of the Governor is run by Lead Housing Officer Nani Medeiros.

HONOLULU — State Lead Housing Officer Nani Medeiros will provide an updated perspective on the Build Beyond Barriers Working Group’s role in the context of housing and the redevelopment of Lahaina during a meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Interested persons may view the meeting in the following ways:

1) https://www.facebook.com/governorhawaii

2) https://www.facebook.com/olelocommunity

3) Cable television via Olelo, Channel 49;

4) In person at the physical location at State Capitol Conference Room 329 at 415 South Beretania St. in Honolulu.

Oral testimony will not be accepted at the meeting, but written testimony may be submitted via gov.housing@hawaii.gov.

In addition to Medeiros’ opening remarks to the working group, the agenda includes discussion of the following project proposals:

1) The Department of Hawaiian Home Land’s request for the lead housing officer’s determination to develop the following for beneficiaries:

A) Honokowai Water System, including source and transmission to support housing in the Villages of Leiali’i and DHHL property in Honokowai;

B) Villages in Leiali’i;

C) Wailuku Single-family Residential Homestead;

D) Waiehu Mauka Homestead in response to an increased need for housing on Maui due to the wildfires.

2) The Hawaii Public Housing Authority’s request for the lead housing officer’s determination to proceed in hiring qualified personnel for public housing construction, renovations in compliance with the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate (NSPIRE) standards, vacancy management, accommodations for individuals with disabilities, housing vouchers, inspections and staff recruitment.

3) The Hawaii Public Housing Authority’s request for the lead housing officer’s determination to proceed with the construction project Hale Aloha O Puna in Keaau, Hawaii, to accommodate very low-income tenants displaced by fires caused by Hurricane Dora’s high winds.

Gov. Josh Green created the position of lead housing officer in January 2023 to increase focus on the development of affordable housing policies and programs within the Governor’s Office. Since then, the Governorʻs Housing Team has grown to three full-time employees.

Working with community partners, counties and other government agencies, Medeiros and her team have been working on various projects to protect and provide affordable housing statewide.

For the past few months, the team has been primarily focused on developing the Governor’s Emergency Proclamation Relating to Housing. This work involved speaking with hundreds of stakeholders statewide to identify redundancies and bottlenecks within the affordable housing approval process.

According to the Housing Team’s website, “The Emergency Proclamation, released on July 17, 2023, suspends specific provisions to address these sticking points without compromising the safety, environmental, or archeological concerns related to housing development.”

In addition to developing the Emergency Proclamation, the Governorʻs Housing Team coordinates the Build Beyond Barriers Working Group, which brings together key process owners at the state and county levels.

As chair of legislative subject matter committees relating to housing, Eighth District Rep. Troy Hashimoto of Maui is a member of the working group. There are also positions for representatives of the Maui/Lanai Island Burial Council, Maui County mayor and permitting/regulatory agencies, and Maui County Department of Water Supply.