Hawaii House Bill HCR30

Hawaii 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/3/22
• Refer: 3/8/22

Caption

Urging The Department Of Education To Follow Workforce Housing Models, Such As Koae Makana And The Hokuao 201h Housing Project, For All Teachers Seeking Affordable Units In The State.

Impact

The resolution seeks to address significant teacher shortages that have persisted in Hawaii, where there were over a thousand teacher vacancies reported in recent school years. By facilitating financial incentives, such as affordable housing options, the Department of Education and public charter schools aim to improve the recruitment and retention of qualified teachers. This approach is viewed as a necessary step to ensure that classrooms are filled with permanent teachers rather than substitutes, thus enhancing the overall quality of education in the state.

Summary

HCR30 urges the Hawaii Department of Education to adopt workforce housing models, such as the Koae Makana and Hokuao 201H housing projects, to provide affordable housing for teachers seeking units in the state. The resolution emphasizes the importance of reducing the financial burden on teachers, as many resignations are attributed to the high cost of living in Hawaii. In the 2017-2018 school year, over half of the teachers who left reported doing so due to the desire to leave Hawaii, which highlights the critical need for housing solutions that support educators.

Contention

HCR30 points to the importance of forming community partnerships to secure housing for full-time teachers. The bill calls for various measures, including supplying homes to meet demand, fostering relationships between teachers and their communities, and promoting pathways to homeownership. While the bill's content suggests a proactive approach to solving housing-related challenges faced by teachers, potential points of contention could arise around the allocation of resources and the effectiveness of these housing models in genuinely alleviating the issues at hand.