In high-priced Silicon Valley, San Jose Unified School District is considering turning underused schools into teacher housing. But, especially in the upper-middle-class parts of the district, residents think teacher housing will lower their property values, reports Marisa Kendall in the San Jose Mercury News.
San Jose Unified says it’s fighting to find and retain workers as rising housing costs outpace income. Teachers are commuting up to four hours a day to and from the city’s schools, potential hires are refusing jobs here and talented staff are quitting in droves, forcing the school district to replace one out of every seven teachers each year. . . . Officials have tagged eight schools and the district’s offices as potential housing sites, choosing schools that have declining enrollment, are housed in aging buildings, or would be ideal residential sites for other reasons.
Other districts in the Bay Area are trying to develop teacher housing, reports Kendall.
Last month, an experimental teacher housing complex in Palo Alto inched closer to fruition when it secured additional funding. The Santa Clara Unified School District already provides affordable teacher housing through its Casa del Maestro complex. And San Francisco-based startup Landed helps local teachers afford down payments on homes near their schools.
Denver Public Schools is helping teachers buy homes, reports Jenny Brundin of Colorado Public Radio. Landed is connecting educators with down-payment aid.