STAND. COM. REP. NO. 35

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2023

RE: H.B. No. 497

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 497 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO HOUSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Require the School Facilities Authority to conduct a feasibility study for the development of teacher and workforce housing at the Queen Liliuokalani Elementary School property; and

(2) Appropriates funds.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the School Facilities Authority, Housing Hawai‘i's Future, Hawaii State Teachers Association, Community Advocacy Research Education Services, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of qualified teachers in the State. Your Committee believes that a major contributing factor to this shortage is the high cost of living in the State and lack of affordable housing. According to the Department of Education's employment report for the 2020-2021 school year, roughly fifty-seven percent of teachers who resigned cited leaving the State as the primary reason for their resignation. Your Committee believes that the State needs to support the development of teacher housing near school properties to attract and retain teachers.

Your Committee believes that this measure is an important step to attracting and retaining teachers and hopes that this measure will act as a catalyst for similar projects throughout the State.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

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

Your Committee notes that although the appropriation is currently for an unspecified amount, the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation has estimated that approximately $100,000 would be required for the project design, planning, traffic studies, community outreach, utilities, and sewer assessment.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Housing that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 497, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 497, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Education.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Housing,

____________________________

TROY N. HASHIMOTO, Chair