DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM
Community leaders Tuesday announced at a news conference in the C. Brewer Building a new initiative to address the housing crisis and improve teacher retention. Among them were Keith Amemiya of the Hawaii Executive Conference, left, greeting Gov. David Ige; Jack Wong, co-chairman of the Conference Education Committee; and Christina Kishimoto, state schools superintendent.
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It takes money to make money — and that’s especially true in high-cost Hawaii. And when it comes to housing, it takes a lot of money to make even a down payment.
In a high-profile move underscoring this, San-Francisco-based investment firm, Landed, descended on Hawaii this week. The program’s basics: Help teachers and other state Department of Education staffers afford a down payment on a home purchase, by providing up to half of a standard down payment, at $120,000 max, in return for repayment over a 30-year period. That end-term sum would consist of the down-payment amount — plus 25% of any gain or shouldering 25% of any loss, of the home’s value. Landed, of course, is banking on a profit — a generally safe bet considering Hawaii properties’ tendency to appreciate.
The program was unveiled here amid much fanfare, with the governor, the schools superintendent and other elite executives in attendance. They all lamented Hawaii’s high housing costs — and lauded Landed’s initiative as one path toward home ownership, and as a possible incentive to recruit and retain teachers.
“The HSTA welcomes any effort to help educators, however this option may only work for a very small percentage of our members,” Corey Rosenlee, the union’s president, said in a statement. “We will continue to fight for better wages and benefits to ensure teachers don’t need financial assistance to afford a home.”
All fanfare aside, Rosenlee’s right. Landed will hold informational sessions this month, so educators can determine if this is right for them.
Every little bite helps, but as we know, teachers really deserve a shiny whole apple.
