STAND. COM. REP. NO. 561-26

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2026

RE: H.B. No. 2122

H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2026

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2122, H.D. 1, 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 who are employed at a hard-to-staff school.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Housing Hawaiʻi's Future; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; KumuKonnect; and two individuals. Your Committee received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Office of Collective Bargaining. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committee finds that there is a severe shortage of qualified teachers in the State. Major contributing factors to this shortage are Hawaii's high cost of living and the lack of affordable housing. Your Committee further finds that many teachers who have resigned cited the high cost of housing as the primary reason for leaving the State. Your Committee believes that the Teacher Housing Assistance Program proposed by this measure is an important step toward attracting and retaining qualified teachers for the State's keiki.

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. 2122, H.D. 1, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair