Mililani Teacher Workforce Housing

Supporting Hawai‘i’s Educators, Lifting Up Families

Urgent Need for Housing

There is an ongoing shortage of licensed teachers in Hawai‘i and an urgent need to recruit and retain licensed teachers to ensure our children have access to a quality education. The cost of living in Hawai‘i is among the highest in the nation, and housing makes up a significant portion of everyone’s budget. This deters many educators from continuing to pursue teaching as a profession and some choose to leave the islands altogether in search of a more affordable place to live and raise their families.

SFA Collaborating with DOE

In 2023, the Hawai‘i State Legislature introduced a proven solution to tackle the state’s teacher recruitment and retention challenges. Act 172 established the Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority (SFA), a state agency that collaborates with the Hawai‘i Department of Education (DOE), to provide alternative housing options for educators at all stages of their careers. Similar to models in other states, SFA is designed to be responsive and nimble, so that housing built on state lands can be provided in a timely, cost-effective manner.
Public-private partnerships (P3) are key to the development of workforce housing. Developers take on the responsibility of designing, building, financing, tenant leasing, management and day-to-day operations and maintenance for a set period. Legislators also envisioned public-private partnerships to be a way to generate revenue for the state.

Mililani Project Overview

Why Mililani? The Hawai‘i State Legislature identified a number of high priority areas for teacher workforce housing and school sites, including Mililani High School, Nānākuli High and Middle School, and Waipahu High School. Mililani was selected as the site for the state’s first teacher workforce housing development because of its central location on O‘ahu and ability to serve multiple districts. A study commissioned by the Hawai‘i Department of Education confirmed there is a great need for affordable housing in Mililani.


Our Nonprofit Developer: Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation (Pacific Housing) was selected through a Request for Proposals (RFP) process to develop the Mililani teacher workforce housing project. Pacific Housing, established in 1980, has developed or is currently developing more than 60 projects, which provide 1,850 affordable housing units for families, seniors and persons with disabilities in all four counties. The nonprofit developer’s real estate portfolio includes 15 affordable housing communities and a 140-unit workforce housing development under construction in Waikoloa. The Mililani teacher workforce housing development will provide DOE educators and staff working or seeking to reside in the Mililani area with much-needed affordable rental housing.

Next Steps

Project Timeline
 The teacher workforce housing project is expected to be completed in late 2029. Last year, SFA and Pacific Housing took the time to listen to the community’s concerns about the location of the workforce housing on the Mililani High School campus. After a series of collaborative, respectful meetings, the SFA and Pacific Housing relocated the site from the upper campus to the lower campus, near the athletic field.
Environmental Assessment

The Environmental Assessment (EA) process is currently underway, and several key milestones have been reached. The Draft EA was published in The Environmental Notice on January 23, and the public comment period will remain open until Monday, February 23. Following the close of the comment period, all feedback will be reviewed and addressed as part of the preparation of the Final EA. To view the Draft EA, you can download the document here:
https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/erp/Doc_Library/2026-01-23-OA-DEA-Mililani-HS-Teacher-Workforce-Housing.pdf

Opportunities for Community Input
The Draft Environmental Assessment is currently available for public review, with comments accepted through February 23. Community input received during this period will help inform the Final EA. SFA and Pacific Housing will continue to provide updates and engage with the community through Neighborhood Board meetings as the process continues.
Timeline for Construction Process
Pacific Housing will apply for building permits, which may be issued in the third quarter of 2027 and then construction can begin. The anticipated construction completion is in the second quarter of 2029 and tenants will move into the project immediately thereafter. It is important to note that this schedule may change as the project progresses.
With over 22,000 Department of Education employees, the need for workforce housing is significant. This project is an alternative way to provide modern housing facilities using public-private partnerships with minimal cost to taxpayers.

– Riki Fujitani, SFA Executive Director

About Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation

Founded in 1980, Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation is a nonprofit organization that has played a pivotal role in the development of over 60 properties across Hawai‘i. Their initiatives have enabled the creation of affordable homeownership and rental housing to address the critical housing needs of Hawai‘i’s diverse communities.
STATE AGENCY
Hawai‘i School Facilities Authority
https://www.hisfa.org/
Cheri Nakamura
cheri.nakamura@hisfa.org
DEVELOPER
Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation
https://www.pacific-housing.org/

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The project targets public school teachers and educators across the state. 
SFA is developing a new public school in Central Maui. We are in the early planning stage and are conducting meetings with DOE and community stakeholders to gather input.
With Hawaiʻi's high cost of housing, we anticipate demand for affordable housing among qualified teachers to exceed the available units. SFA and Pacific Housing will develop a fair, equitable process to accommodate as many teachers as possible. The property manager hired by Pacific Housing will manage the applicant pool based on agreed criteria. If there are more applicants than units available, a lottery will be conducted to place eligible applicants. The remaining applicants will be placed on a waitlist that will be retained by the property manager to fill vacant units.
Based on market research conducted by the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, there is a high demand by teachers for workforce housing in Mililani. The project will be available to educators and Department of Education personnel who are eligible by income and work in any public school on Oʻahu.
A public-private partnership (P3) is a formal collaboration between a government agency and a private company to deliver public services or infrastructure. In this project, SFA is partnering with a private, nonprofit developer, Pacific Housing Assistance Corporation, to help fund, build, and manage the housing project more efficiently and affordably--while ensuring public oversight is maintained. This minimizes the need for state funds.
An Environmental Assessment (EA) is a preliminary study to identify potential impacts and determine if they are significant. If significant impacts are found, a more detailed Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) may be required to fully evaluate and address those concerns.
Yes, a traffic impact analysis report (TIAR) will be included in the EA. The traffic study will conduct traffic counts, analyze the project's impact on the surrounding roadway network, and recommend any necessary traffic mitigation. The TIAR will address any potential impact of the new ingress and egress on Meheula Parkway for the workforce housing.
The displaced parking will be addressed in the design, and we will be able to share the new location in the November 2025 neighborhood board meetings.
The timeline and budget are closely linked and dependent on decisions made as the project proceeds. The site is more challenging to develop than the previously proposed site and costs increase over time.
We will separate the workforce housing from the school with a fence surrounding the perimeter of the housing.
No, individual washers and dryers will not be provided in each unit. To help reduce both the initial purchase costs and ongoing maintenance expenses, the project will include a secure, shared laundry facility onsite. We understand concerns raised by community members regarding potential loitering in laundry areas. To address this, the teacher workforce housing project will be enclosed with secure fencing and staffed by both a resident manager and an onsite property manager to ensure safety and proper oversight.

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2759 S. King Street, Room H201, Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96826
www.hisfa.org