STAND. COM. REP. NO. 764

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2025

RE: H.B. No. 1188

H.D. 2

Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Madame:

Your Committee on Housing, to which was referred H.B. No. 1188, H.D. 1, entitled:

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

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to:

(1) Establish a Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program to support teacher retention at public and charter schools classified as hard-to-staff; and

(2) Amend the purpose and uses of the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i; Democratic Party of Hawai‘i Education Caucus; and one individual. Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Department of Education.

Your Committee finds that the State's high cost of living and limited affordable housing options have made it increasingly difficult for teachers to live in the communities where they work. This housing insecurity is a major contributing factor in high teacher turnover rates and increased reliance on emergency hires, which creates a disruption in the education provided to students. Your Committee believes that establishing a Teacher Workforce Housing Stipend Program will help alleviate housing-related financial pressures, thereby stabilizing the teaching workforce, and ensuring that students in hard-to-staff communities have access to consistent, high-quality education.

Your Committee has amended this measure by 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. 1188, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to your Committee on Finance in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1188, H.D. 2.

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

____________________________

LUKE A. EVSLIN, Chair