HB 323: RELATING TO TEACHER HOUSING.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO TEACHER HOUSING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that approximately ten per cent of the State's teachers switch schools, relocate, or leave the profession each year.  Only fifty to sixty per cent of current teachers have been at their school for five years or more.  Chronic teacher turnover forces the department of education to rely on emergency hires and substitute teachers to fill vacancies.  The legislature further finds that teacher recruitment and retention is especially difficult at hard-to-staff schools.

     The legislature additionally finds that Hawaii's high cost of living is a significant contributing factor in the department of education's teacher recruitment and retention efforts.  According to a WalletHub study, Hawaii ranked fifty-first out of fifty states and the District of Columbia for starting teacher salary and median teacher salary, adjusted for cost of living.

     The purpose of this Act is to alleviate the financial burden on teachers and improve teacher recruitment and retention by establishing a teacher housing assistance program to provide housing vouchers to qualified full-time teachers who are employed by:

     (1)  The department of education and commits to teach at a hard‑to‑staff school, as determined by the department; or

     (2)  A charter school and commits to teach at a charter school.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to subpart E, part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-     Teacher housing assistance program.  (a)  There is established a teacher housing assistance program to be administered by the department to provide housing vouchers to eligible teachers.  If the number of applications exceeds the number of available housing vouchers, housing vouchers shall be provided to eligible teachers through a lottery process.

     (b)  A housing voucher provided under this section shall be used for:

     (1)  Rent for the eligible teacher's primary residence;

     (2)  Mortgage payments for the eligible teacher's primary residence; or

     (3)  Down payment on residential real property; provided that the property shall be the eligible teacher's primary residence.

     (c)  A housing voucher shall not exceed $           per month or the eligible teacher's monthly rent or mortgage payment, whichever is less.  A housing voucher granted pursuant to this section shall be applicable for one year.  The voucher shall be renewable for one additional year.

     (d)  Upon the establishment of the teacher housing assistance program, the department shall develop an application procedure and processes, procedures, and forms necessary to implement and maintain the program.  The department shall work with the state public charter school commission to develop a process to verify that an eligible teacher satisfies the criteria listed in subsection (g).

     (e)  Applications for vouchers shall be made to the department and contain the information as shall be required by rules adopted thereunder.  At a minimum, the applicant shall:

     (1)  Be an eligible teacher as defined in subsection (g);

     (2)  Agree to use state funds exclusively for the purposes of the program;

     (3)  Indicate capability to properly use the voucher for the purpose of the program;

     (4)  Comply with other requirements as the department may prescribe;

     (5)  Comply with all applicable federal, state, and county statutes, rules, and ordinances;

     (6)  Agree to indemnify and save harmless the State and its officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims arising out of or resulting from the use of vouchers for this program, and procure sufficient insurance to provide this indemnification if requested to do so by the department; and

     (7)  Agree to make available to the department all records the applicant may have relating to the voucher, to allow state agencies to monitor the applicant's compliance with this section.

     (f)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate the purpose of this section.

     (g)  For the purposes of this section, an "eligible teacher" means a person who:

     (1)  Is a full-time teacher;

     (2)  Has taught at a public school  in the State for at least one year prior to the application date;

     (3)  Is employed by the department of education or a charter school;

     (4)  Commits to teach at a hard-to-staff school, as determined by the department of education, or a public charter school for no less than five consecutive years;

     (5)  Resides in the State;

     (6)  Does not own, operate, rent, or control any residential real property in addition to the eligible teacher's primary residence for which the housing voucher is sought; and

     (7)  Has a household income below      per cent of the area median income."

     SECTION 3.  Section 302A-833, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  The revolving fund may be used by the department of education for any and all of the purposes of teachers' housing, including the [planning,]:

     (1)  Planning, construction, maintenance, and operation of teachers' housing[, as well as for the salaries];

     (2)  Teacher housing assistance program pursuant to section 302A-   ; and

     (3)  Salaries of the necessary personnel in charge thereof."

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the teachers' housing revolving fund the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the provision of housing vouchers through the teacher housing assistance program established by this Act.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 3000.

Report Title:

Teacher Housing Assistance Program; Teacher Recruitment and Retention; Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers.  Appropriates funds out of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund.  Effective 7/1/3000.  (HD1)

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

A BILL FOR AN ACT

RELATING TO TEACHER HOUSING.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that approximately ten per cent of the State's teachers switch schools, relocate, or leave the profession each year.  Only fifty to sixty per cent of current teachers have been at their school for five years or more.  Chronic teacher turnover forces the department of education to rely on emergency hires and substitute teachers to fill vacancies.  The legislature further finds that teacher recruitment and retention is especially difficult at hard-to-staff schools.

     The legislature additionally finds that Hawaii's high cost of living is a significant contributing factor in the department of education's teacher recruitment and retention efforts.  According to a WalletHub study, Hawaii ranked fifty-first out of fifty states and the District of Columbia for starting teacher salary and median teacher salary, adjusted for cost of living.

     The purpose of this Act is to alleviate the financial burden on teachers and improve teacher recruitment and retention by establishing a teacher housing assistance program to provide housing vouchers to qualified full-time teachers who are employed by the department of education and teach at a hard‑to‑staff school, as determined by the department, including public charter schools.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 302A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to subpart E, part III to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§302A-     Teacher housing assistance program.  (a)  There is established a teacher housing assistance program to be administered by the department to provide housing vouchers to eligible teachers.  If the number of applications exceeds the number of available housing vouchers, housing vouchers shall be provided to eligible teachers through a lottery process.

     (b)  A housing voucher provided under this section shall be used for:

     (1)  Rent for the eligible teacher's primary residence;

     (2)  Mortgage payments for the eligible teacher's primary residence; or

     (3)  Down payment on residential real property; provided that the property shall be the eligible teacher's primary residence.

     (c)  A housing voucher shall not exceed $500 per month or the eligible teacher's monthly rent or mortgage payment, whichever is less.  A housing voucher granted pursuant to this section shall be applicable for one year.  The voucher shall be renewable for one additional year.

     (d)  Upon the establishment of the teacher housing assistance program, the department shall develop an application procedure and processes, procedures, and forms necessary to implement and maintain the program.  The department shall work with the state public charter school commission to develop a process to verify that an eligible teacher satisfies the criteria listed in subsection (f).

     (e)  The department may adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91 to effectuate the purpose of this section.

     (f)  For the purposes of this section, an "eligible teacher" means a person who:

     (1)  Is a full-time teacher;

     (2)  Has taught at a school in the State for at least one year prior to the application date;

     (3)  Is employed by the department of education;

     (4)  Commits to teach at a hard-to-staff school, as determined by the department of education, or a public charter school for no less than five consecutive years;

     (5)  Resides in the State;

     (6)  Does not own, operate, rent, or control any residential real property in addition to the eligible teacher's primary residence for which the housing voucher is sought; and

     (7)  Has a household income below      per cent of the area median income."

     SECTION 3.  Section 302A-833, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (b) to read as follows:

     "(b)  The revolving fund may be used by the department of education for any and all of the purposes of teachers' housing, including the [planning,]:

     (1)  Planning, construction, maintenance, and operation of teachers' housing[, as well as for the salaries];

     (2)  Teacher housing assistance program pursuant to section 302A-   ; and

     (3)  Salaries of the necessary personnel in charge thereof."

     SECTION 4.  There is appropriated out of the teachers' housing revolving fund the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2025-2026 and the same sum or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the provision of housing vouchers through the teacher housing assistance program established by this Act.

     The sums appropriated shall be expended by the department of education for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 5.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 6.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2025.

Report Title:

Teacher Housing Assistance Program; Teacher Recruitment and Retention; Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes the Teacher Housing Assistance Program to provide housing vouchers to certain eligible teachers.  Appropriates funds out of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund.

The summary description of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.

STAND. COM. REP. NO.  47

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2025

RE:   H.B. No. 323

      H.D. 1

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

     Your Committee on Education, to which was referred H.B. No. 323 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 State Public Charter School Commission; Hawaiʻi State Teachers Association; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus; Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi; and one individual.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education; Department of the Attorney General; 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.  Your Committee believes that major contributing factors to this shortage are the State's high cost of living and lack of affordable housing.  Your Committee believes that this measure will alleviate the financial burden on teachers in obtaining housing by providing housing vouchers.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Inserting language establishing standards for the distribution of the funds appropriated in this measure as housing vouchers under the Teacher Housing Assistance Program;

     (2)  Changing the maximum amount for a housing voucher to an unspecified amount;

     (3)  Specifying that teachers who are eligible for participation in the Teacher Housing Assistance Program include teachers employed by a charter school;

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

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

     Your Committee respectfully requests your Committee on Finance, should it deliberate on this measure, to consider $500 per month as the maximum amount for a housing voucher under the Teacher Housing Assistance Program.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 323, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 323, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Housing.

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