The state of California on Tuesday introduced a new plan to bring more teachers to the state: housing built on land owned by school districts.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond on Tuesday will propose a plan to build affordable housing for teachers and staff like custodians and food service workers on land already owned by school districts.
California school districts own about 75,000 acres of developable land that could be used for 2.3 million housing units.
Thurmond said it would be up to each district to decide whether to build housing and work to pass bonds to fund the projects. The state would help with the process including possibly offering tax credits.
In the Bay Area, many of educators said they simply can’t afford to live near their jobs.
“We have teachers that live in Capitola, Morgan Hill, in Dublin. So, they are traveling many hours to get to work,” said Teri Baldwin, the president of the Palo Alto Educators Association.
Campbell Union School District Superintendent Dr. Shelly Viramontez said that while she likes the concept but she also has some concerns.
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“I would be concerned about the district getting involved in housing or could that take away funds and resources from student learning? Because we would now dedicate it and will have to cover the costs of construction,” she said.
Baldwin said that more affordable teacher housing could help students too.
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“We want to recruit the best educators for our students and housing would definitely be a benefit,” she said.
And there's evidence it can be done. The Jefferson Union High School District in Daly City recently opened a 122-unit housing community. It offers district teachers more affordable rent.
