Hawaiʻi lawmakers mull mediation to prevent mass evictions after moratorium lifted

Hawaiʻi lawmakers are considering spending millions to support landlord-tenant mediation services in an effort to prevent a flood of post-moratorium eviction proceedings from overwhelming the courts and driving up homelessness in the state.

House Bill 1376 and its companion Senate Bill 1388 would require landlords to wait 15 days instead of five between issuing an eviction notice and filing a summary possession case in court.

The measures also would require landlords to attend mediation if requested by a tenant, and establish a tiered system to determine when landlords could evict tenants based on how much back rent is due.

The proposal is intended to establish an off-ramp to allow the state to lift its pandemic-inspired eviction moratorium that prevents landlords from removing tenants who don’t pay their rent.

A federal eviction moratorium has been extended until the end of March, but it is much narrower and protects fewer renters.

The state moratorium technically has an April 13 deadline, but the governor has been extending it on a monthly or bimonthly basis. The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice said in testimony that the group generally supports the bill but doesn’t want it to set a firm date for the moratorium to be lifted.