Bill > HB323

This bill establishes a Teacher Housing Assistance Program to address Hawaii's ongoing challenges with teacher recruitment and retention, particularly in hard-to-staff schools. The program will provide housing vouchers to eligible full-time teachers employed by the Department of Education or charter schools who commit to teaching at hard-to-staff schools for at least five consecutive years. Eligible teachers can use these vouchers for rent, mortgage payments, or down payments on their primary residence, with the voucher amount to be determined and not exceeding the teacher's monthly housing costs. To qualify, teachers must have taught in a public school for at least one year, reside in Hawaii, not own additional residential property, and have a household income below a specified percentage of the area median income. If demand for vouchers exceeds available funds, they will be allocated through a lottery process. The program will be administered by the Department of Education, which will develop application procedures and verify teacher eligibility. Funding for the program will come from the Teachers' Housing Revolving Fund, with an appropriation to be made for fiscal years 2025-2026 and 2026-2027, reflecting the legislature's recognition that Hawaii's high cost of living significantly impacts teacher recruitment and retention.

Education, Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=323&year=2026