State news in brief
Efforts to lower Hawaii teachers’ housing costs advance
(TNS) — Two bills intended to help retain Hawaii teachers by providing assistance to reduce their housing costs continue to advance through the Legislature. Faced with an overall shortage of 50,000 affordable homes statewide, the latest version of House Bill 1631 would require the state Schools Facilities Authority to collaborate with the state Department of Education to work on housing teachers and other DOE staff. And the latest version of HB 2514 would provide housing vouchers to eligible teachers to reduce their housing costs.
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Prefab buildings in Lahaina to house wildfire survivors
(TNS) — A state social services agency is working to produce what could be the first temporary housing community developed for Maui fire survivors, a 450-unit project where initial occupancy is expected in a few months. The $115 million project has been named Kala‘iola and is being created using furnished, prefabricated homes from four manufacturers arranged with 26 community buildings on undeveloped state land in Lahaina long planned for residential development. An initial phase with 270 homes and some community buildings likely won’t be ready until August because of time needed to develop roads and utility infrastructure on the site. However, fire survivors may be able to move into some of the homes with temporary utility connections in April or May, and perhaps one day purchase the units at a discount for use on property that homeowners lost in the Aug. 8 fire.
State Hospital to make changes in wake of slaying of staffer
(TNS) — In the aftermath of the Nov. 13 stabbing death of a 29-year-old staff member at the state Department of Health, the state tightened security and increased staff-to-patient ratios, according to a news release. The Department of Health “conducted a full safety and security review” of the State Operated Specialized Residential Program and Hawaii State Hospital facilities. The state took “immediate action” to tighten security and increase staff-to-patient ratios. All residents are screened with a pat-down, scanned with a metal detector and required to submit to urine drug testing.
Security patrols were increased, and the staff-to-patient ratio was increased to 1-to-3 from 1-to-5, according to the state. A four-day safety stand-down was instituted for both the SOSRP and the HSH to “review existing policies and procedures and recommend improvements to overall safety,” according to the state.
