STAND. COM. REP. NO. 868

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 804

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 804 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO TEACHER RENTAL HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to facilitate the provision of affordable housing for public school teachers.

Specifically, the measure:

(1) Authorizes and appropriates moneys to the Hawaii Public Housing Authority and Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to provide affordable rental housing for public school teachers;

(2) Authorizes the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to contract or sponsor with any state or county agency for public school teachers' affordable housing; and

(3) Requires the Department of Education to lease land and contract with private entities for the development, management, maintenance, or revitalization of teacher housing.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, Hawaii Public Housing Authority, Hawaii State Teachers Association, and Hawaii Association of REALTORS.

Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and Hawaii Government Employees Association.

Your Committee recognizes that Hawaii has a severe shortage of qualified teachers, due in significant part to the lack of affordable housing in the State, which has resulted in many teachers leaving to seek less expensive housing elsewhere. Accordingly, your Committee believes that facilitating the development of affordable housing for teachers is an appropriate way to help recruit and retain teachers for public schools.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

(2) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 804, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 804, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair