STAND. COM. REP. NO. 11

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.B. No. 12

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2019

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committees on Education and Housing, to which was referred S.B. No. 12 entitled:

 

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

 

beg leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to authorize the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to develop and implement a housing voucher program for full-time teachers employed by the Department of Education or at a public charter school.

 

     Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Education, State Public Charter School Commission, Hawaii Teacher Standards Board, Special Education Advisory Council, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Oahu County Committee on Legislative Priorities of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, and four individuals.  Your Committees received testimony in opposition to this measure from the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation and one individual.  Your Committees received comments on this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committees find that Hawaii continues to suffer from a shortage of qualified teachers and financial incentives are a key strategy for the recruitment and retention of teachers, especially since the salaries of teachers in Hawaii continue to trail the nation when adjusted for cost of living.  Housing in Hawaii is expensive and contributes to the financial burden on teachers.  By establishing a housing voucher program to provide housing vouchers to full-time teachers, this measure provides a financial incentive to assist teachers in attaining sustainable and stable residency and lessen the financial burden of housing.

 

     Your Committees note that the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation may need additional support to implement the housing voucher program as specified by this measure.  Additionally, your Committees believe that making the Department of Education responsible for implementing the program merits further discussion and that the Department should work and collaborate with other housing agencies that are familiar with housing voucher programs, such as the Hawaii Public Housing Authority.

 

     As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Housing that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 12 and recommend that it pass Second Reading and be referred to your Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Housing,

 

________________________________

STANLEY CHANG, Chair

 

________________________________

MICHELLE N. KIDANI, Chair