This bill would increase the maximum size of guest houses, a move intended to make a dent in Kauai's ongoing housing crisis. The proposed Bill would increase the maximum size from 500 square feet to 800 square feet, and would require one off-street parking space per house. A guest house can be used to accommodate short-term guests or long-term tenants, though it cannot be used as a transient vacation rental or homestay operation.
This is the next step in a bid to decrease the regulations on guest houses. In 2019, council passed a bill that changed the definition of a guest house to allow kitchens. It's been said that the increase in housing supply remains a top priority for the county, and have identified building 9,000 new housing units by 2035 as a priority in the 2018 General Plan. The guest house measure passed first reading unanimously and will now go before the Planning Commission next.
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