kcerizo@mauinews.com
A hotly debated bill to increase affordable housing requirements was approved by Maui County Council on Tuesday evening.
The 6-3 vote, with Council Members Alice Lee, Tasha Kama and Yuki Lei Sugimura dissenting, gave the green light to Bill 10, which would require that 201H fast-tracked housing projects have at least 75 percent affordable units unless a lower percentage greater than 50 percent is approved by council.
Hawaii’s 201H law, administered by the county, is an expedited path that allows exemptions from certain rules and fees for housing developments with a minimum of 50 percent affordable units.
After requests by Kama and Sugimura before the vote Tuesday, Council Member Gabe Johnson, chairman of the council’s Affordable Housing Committee, agreed to have the committee review the bill’s efficacy after 12 months.