HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.R. NO.
74
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE STATE BUILDING CODE COUNCIL TO DEVELOP AND ADOPT BASIC SHELTER STANDARDS TO ENABLE LOW-COST, RAPID-DEPLOYMENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS.
WHEREAS, Hawaii continues to face urgent housing shortages, compounded by high construction costs, labor constraints, and limited buildable land; and
WHEREAS, the current State Building Code requires all new housing to comply with comprehensive standards, including energy-efficient windows, permanent insulation, and individual kitchens and bathrooms, which are appropriate for conventional housing but effectively prohibit low-cost, rapid-deployment housing solutions, such as single-wall plantation homes, Quonset huts, kauhale, and prefabricated accessory dwelling units (ADUs); and
WHEREAS, under gubernatorial emergency proclamations, temporary exemptions from full building code requirements have enabled innovative supportive housing models, including kauhale villages and the rapid deployment of prefabricated ADUs following the August 2023 Maui wildfires; and
WHEREAS, however, these solutions disappear when the emergency proclamations expire, leaving the State without durable tools to provide affordable and emergency housing; and
WHEREAS, section 107-25(6), Hawaii Revised Statutes, expressly authorizes the State Building Code Council to adopt provisions based on nationally published codes or standards, including mechanical standards, hurricane-resistant standards, flood and tsunami standards, and other loss mitigation standards; and
WHEREAS, establishing a new category of basic shelter standards will enable the adoption of minimum standards that ensure housing is safe, sanitary, and structurally sound, while also allowing greater flexibility than full building code requirements; and
WHEREAS, adopting basic shelter standards would also provide a lawful framework for dignified, low-cost housing solutions, and restricting the use of basic shelter standards to projects built or conveyed by government agencies or nonprofit organizations would prevent speculative or profit-driven misuse; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2026, that the State Building Code Council is requested to develop and adopt basic shelter standards to enable low-cost, rapid-deployment housing solutions; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Building Code Council is requested to adopt, amend, or update the State Building Code pursuant to its authority under section 107-25(6), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to establish a Basic Shelter Appendix; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Building Code Council is requested to consider the following suitable reference standards for the new Basic Shelter Appendix:
(1) United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Quality Standards (24 C.F.R. 982.401) and HUD Minimum Property Standards;
(2) International Code Council Off-Site Construction Standards (ICC/MBI 1200, 1205, and 1210), including provisions for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, energy efficiency, and water conservation; and
(3) Federal Emergency Management Agency and international humanitarian shelter standards, which are recognized benchmarks for emergency and supportive housing; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the State Building Code Council is requested to consult with county building officials, housing advocates, nonprofit organizations, and industry stakeholders to ensure that the new basic shelter standards reflect Hawaii's climate, cultural context, and resilience needs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Comptroller, Chair of the State Building Code Council, Director of the Hawaii County Department of Public Works, Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting of the City and County of Honolulu, County Engineer of the Kauai County Department of Public Works, and Director of the Maui County Department of Public Works.
OFFERED BY:
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Report Title:
State Building Code; State Building Code Council; Basic Shelter Standards; Supportive Housing Models