STAND. COM. REP. NO. 71-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: H.B. No. 2514

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. 2514 entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish and appropriate funds for the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; CARES; and three individuals. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of qualified teachers in the State. Your Committee believes that major contributing factors to this shortage are 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 the high cost of housing as the primary reason for leaving the State. Your Committee believes that this measure is an important step in attracting and retaining teachers.

Your Committee notes the concerns raised in testimony by the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation regarding programs and resources under the Corporation being subject to federal Fair Housing laws and the potential for the housing occupancy preferences proposed by this measure to violate these laws. Your Committee also finds that the Department of Education currently has the statutory authority and a revolving fund established specifically for a teachers' housing program. As such, your Committee believes the voucher program under this measure would be better placed under the responsibility of the Department of Education rather than Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the agency responsible for the Teacher Housing Assistance Program from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to the Department of Education;

(2) Expanding the authorized uses of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund to include the Teacher Housing Assistance Program;

(3) Changing the means of financing for the program from general funds to the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund;

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

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

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. 2514, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2514, 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