HILO — A bill aimed at increasing housing opportunities for Hawaii Island’s farm workers moves into conferencing this week, marking the latest hurdle cleared for the measure.
House Bill 2 is the first of its kind, and would allow for farm workers to live in so-called “tiny homes” on agricultural land.
“It’s getting closer, but in our business it isn’t done till it’s done,” said Rep. Cindy Evans, D- North Kona, North Kohala, South Kohala, who wrote and introduced HB 2. “I’m hopeful. We’re still hearing good things.”
Evans has introduced measures in the past attempting to solve the problem of farm housing — namely, as the bill states, that “a lack of affordable housing for farm workers has made it difficult for working farms to attract and retain employees.”
None of the measures were successful. Fellow Hawaii Island Rep. Richard Creagan introduced a farm housing measure this year as well, but it stalled early on in the legislative session.
Evans and those involved in supporting the bill say HB2 has succeeded so far in part because of its specificity — it would apply only to agricultural land on Hawaii Island — and its timeliness.
“I think there’s an intersection happening of both heightened awareness of our housing problems rising at the same time as heightened awareness of food insecurity,” said Marcy Montgomery of the West Hawaii-based One Island sustainability initiative. Montgomery and Evans first discussed tiny homes as a solution to both problems during the annual Hawaii Farmers Union United convention last year.
“When I’m busy working in Honolulu, Marcy’s been out promoting and sharing the idea here,” Evans said.
Montgomery said more than 400 people had participated in community meetings and events specific to the tiny houses bill.
“The response has been so encouraging,” she said. “There’s such a broad need to solve our housing issues.”
Montgomery also is part of a group that is planning a Hawaii County housing summit to be held later this fall.
A primary worry of those who provided comments on the measure, including the state Department of Agriculture, is that the tiny homes would be used as vacation properties or to solve the homelessness crisis.
Evans said she had met with Agriculture Department staffers to go over their concerns.
“Their whole mission is to manage agricultural land for agriculture,” she said. “So for them, they didn’t want to see a potential (misuse) … this is about farm workers. People want to farm, but they want to live on the land they farm.”
Email Ivy Ashe at iashe@hawaiitribune-herald.com.