STAND. COM. REP. NO. 465-22

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2022

RE: H.B. No. 2345

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2022

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 2345 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO LAND,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to facilitate the development of affordable housing for teachers by appropriating funds to the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to purchase the fee simple interest, lease, or acquire through another form of interest in a parcel of real property located in Ewa Beach on the island of Oahu to develop affordable housing, with priority given to Department of Education classroom teachers in the beginning of their careers.

Your Committees received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii State Teachers Association and three individuals. Your Committees received testimony in support of the intent of this measure from the Department of Education. Your Committees received comments on this measure from the Department of Budget and Finance; Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation; Gentry Homes; and Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO.

Your Committees find that teacher recruitment and retention is a long-standing issue and has become a serious area of concern during the COVID-19 pandemic. This measure appropriates funds to begin the process of developing affordable housing, with priority given to public school teachers, to encourage prospective teachers to pursue employment in Hawaii's public schools.

Your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Authorizing, rather than requiring, the acquisition of real property located in Ewa Beach on the island of Oahu to develop affordable housing;

(2) Removing language that:

(A) Provides that if the real property is acquired, including through the use of a loan guaranty, the acquired real property shall be used solely for the development of affordable housing units for teachers and other improvements necessary for the affordable housing; and

(B) Requires the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation to adopt rules pursuant to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to effectuate and administer this measure;

(3) Changing its effective date to July 1, 2050; and

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

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 H.B. No. 2345, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 2345, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Finance.

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

____________________________ NADINE K. NAKAMURA, Chair

____________________________ JUSTIN H. WOODSON, Chair