STAND. COM. REP. NO. 23-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 1631

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1631 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 work with the Department of Education to prioritize projects for the construction of educator workforce housing;

(2) Require the School Facilities Authority to include in its annual report to the Legislature its planned actions to increase educator workforce housing; and

(3) Require the Department of Education to collaborate with certain state and county agencies to submit a preliminary report to the Legislature on the status of lands designated to be transferred to the Department of Education pursuant to Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the School Facilities Authority; State Council on Developmental Disabilities; Department of Research and Development of the County of Hawaiʻi; Hawai‘i State Teachers Association; Holomua Collaborative; Housing Hawai‘i's Future; Hawaiian Host Group; Hawai‘i Community Foundation; HPM Building Supply; Mana Up; Hawai‘i Workforce Funders Collaborative; Hawai‘i Gas; Title Guaranty of Hawai‘i; Aio; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; and two individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Office of Housing and Community Development of the County of Hawai‘i.

Your Committee finds that Hawaii is facing a shortage of qualified teachers, which is further exacerbated by the lack of affordable housing in the State. Your Committee further finds that providing workforce housing is a key strategy for the recruitment and retention of teachers, as it can help make the teaching profession more attractive and also help lessen the financial burden of teachers currently living in Hawaii.

Your Committee further finds that the Department of Education and School Facilities Authority share similar missions in providing workforce housing for educators in the State. However, your Committee believes clarification is needed regarding the collaborative efforts between the Department of Education and School Facilities Authority to ensure the School Facilities Authority has all the necessary tools it needs to provide workforce housing for educators.

Your Committee notes that the lands to be transferred to the Department of Education pursuant to Act 307, Session Laws of Hawaii 2022 (Act 307), contains lands that are or were under the jurisdiction of the Department of Land and Natural Resources or the counties of Kauai and Maui. However, the Department of Education may want to consider looking at other lands under the jurisdiction of other state and county agencies not covered under Act 307 to utilize any unused or underutilized facilities for educator workforce housing.

Your Committee has amended this measure by changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion.

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. 1631, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1631, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Education.

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

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair