HONOLULU (KHON2) -- Second Circuit Court Judge Peter T. Cahill ruled in favor of Governor Josh Green, M.D., and the Hawaiʻi Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) in a lawsuit that aimed to invalidate Gov. Green’s emergency proclamation on affordable housing.
As a result, the Sixth Proclamation Relating to Affordable Housing remains fully effective.
"The emergency proclamations from my office are always intended to help people and undergo thorough review by the Department of the Attorney General," said Gov. Green. "The court ruling confirms the diligent work done by the AG's team for the people of Hawai‘i.
The Sixth Proclamation Relating to Affordable Housing emphasizes the urgent need for solutions to Hawai‘i’s affordable housing shortage.
It aims to advance affordable housing projects to ensure the immediate and ongoing production of affordable housing units. The proclamation also seeks to promote and protect the public health, safety and welfare of Hawai‘i’s residents.
In an amended complaint, several individuals requested the proclamation be declared void. They argued that the lack of affordable housing does not constitute an emergency under the law.
The state defendants, represented by Deputy Attorneys General Linda L.W. Chow, Klemen Urbanc and Jordan A.K. Ching, filed a motion to dismiss the complaint.
Judge Cahill dismissed the amended complaint and ruled in favor of Gov. Green and the HHFDC.
“Affordable housing is a critical issue for the people of Hawaiʻi,” said Deputy Attorney General Klemen Urbanc. “We are pleased that the affordable housing proclamation has been upheld in its entirety.”
It has been 301 days since families/residents lost their homes due the fires that ravaged Maui on Aug. 8, 2023.