HONOLULU — State lawmakers have passed the state’s $13.7 billion budget for 2017, providing funding for affordable housing development, new classroom facilities and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. ADVERTISING HONOLULU — State lawmakers have passed the state’s $13.7 billion
HONOLULU — State lawmakers have passed the state’s $13.7 billion budget for 2017, providing funding for affordable housing development, new classroom facilities and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
The bill also includes money to boost the state’s team that fights mosquito-borne diseases. The money will help the state fight outbreaks of dengue fever that infected more than 260 people on Hawaii’s Big Island, and also can help the state prevent a local outbreak of the Zika virus.
“An outbreak would have significant impact to not only the health and safety of our citizens, but also would devastate our economy,” said House Finance Chairwoman Rep. Sylvia Luke.
The budget also allows $500,000 for public school classroom supplies and fully funds the state’s Teach for America program, which is “vital to recruitment and retention of teachers, especially in rural areas,” Luke said.
The Legislature provided $12 million for homelessness programs, surpassing the governor’s request for about $9 million, and giving the governor’s office the authority to decide how it would spend the money.
“The overall goal being to get people the support and services they need that leads to permanent housing,” said Sen. Jill Tokuda, chairwoman for the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
In a state with a severe shortage of affordable housing, the Legislature earmarked nearly $100 million to make a dent in the crisis, including $36.6 million in bonds for the Rental Housing Revolving Fund for developers of affordable housing for rent, and $25 million for the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund, which is for developers of affordable housing to buy. The budget also includes $29 million in bonds to construct and renovate public housing, and an additional $6 million to repair empty public housing units.
The Legislature agreed to spend $23.9 million on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands, which awards 99-year land leases to Hawaiians for $1 a year. The department had requested $28 million annually. A judge in November had ordered the Legislature to fulfill that request, but the court order was later revised. Gov. David Ige originally put $9.6 million per year in the budget.
Lawmakers also agreed to give $2.5 million to Wahiawa General Hospital in central Oahu, which threatened to close without a cash infusion of $3 million. To help rebuild the crumbling Hawaii State Hospital, they approved $160.5 million in bonds.
Rep. Gene Ward was concerned that the state was spending $400 million more than it would be taking in next year.
“Generally when you have a good budget, whether you’re a family or a state or a nation, you don’t spend more than you have,” Ward said.
