XXXXX | EDUCATION Some schools erecting housing for teachers BY JANIE HAR | The Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HIGH SCHOOL teacher Lisa Raskin moved out of a cramped apartment she was sharing with a roommate and into her own place this month, paying a deeply discounted $1,500 a month HOMECOMING: Lisa Raskin, a teacher at Jefferson Union High School District in Daly City, Calif., looks out for a one-bedroom with expansive views within the window of her new one-bedroom apartment that was built by the district and is rented to school employwalking distance to work. ees at discounted rates. It was once an impossible dream in an exorbiAP PHOTO/GODOFREDO A. VASQUEZ tantly priced region hostile to new housing. But her employer, a 4,000-student school district south fornia, Berkeley, said such housing complexes are for a down payment on a house. of San Francisco, was the rare success story in the rare, but he expects more school districts to explore But those too are becoming more difficult to struggle to provide affordable housing. In May, it the concept given the benefits of teachers living in buy. A 2016 study by Redfin found that only 20% of opened 122 apartments for teachers and staff. the communities where they work. homes for sale across major U.S. metro areas were “I have a sense of community, which I think is But such projects face obstacles, including pushaffordable on an average teacher’s salary of $62,800, more valuable than anything else,” Raskin, 41, said. down from 34% in 2012. back from residents. Vincent urges districts to be “More districts really need to consider this model. I Boston high school English teacher Shirley cautious. think it shows educators that they value them.” Jones-Luke, who bought her house nearly two “One of the biggest barriers is the need for The Jefferson Union High School District in San decades ago, said there’s no way she’d be able to afpeople to think outside the box,” he said. “There Mateo County’s Daly City, Calif., is among several are skeptics of whether schools should be doing this ford one today in the rapidly gentrifying neighborplaces in the country with educator housing. But with their land.” hood of Dorchester where she’s taught for years. with a national teacher shortage and rapidly rising Roughly a quarter of the 500 employees at Jef“It’s important to students to know that their rents, the working-class district could serve as a teachers live in the same communities as them, ferson Union were resigning or retiring every harbinger as schools across the U.S. seek to attract shop at the same stores,” said Jones-Luke, who is year. The district, where teacher salaries for the and retain educators. Black. 2022-23 year start at $60,000, could not compete with “This is absolutely a solution for other districts. California lawmakers in 2016 made it easier wealthier schools that pay new teachers $76,000 or As we’ve gone through the process, we’ve learned for districts to build workforce housing on school more. of so many other districts interested in doing what property, but some efforts have stalled over financSo in 2017-2018, officials came up with a plan for we’ve done,” said Andrew Lie, a school board recruitment and retention, including a $75 million ing and residential pushback. Five workforce trustee. “For us to be at the front end of this new housing complex for teachers and staff financed in housing complexes currently exist in Los Angeles, wave of teacher and staff part by a $30 million bond issue Santa Clara and San Mateo county school districts. housing is actually pretty approved by voters. Jefferson Union was the rare success story, exciting.” The district also has a more building the new complex on a former parking lot In West Virginia, the ambitious plan to lease school of an old high school currently used for district American Federation of property for a 1,200-unit develoffices. Teachers recently helped The apartments range in monthly rent from opment that would mix retail open a building with $1,356 for a one-bedroom to $2,511 for a three-bedwith market-rate housing and apartments for teachers generate revenue to beef up room, which officials say is 58% of market rate. and retail shops that ofteacher salaries. But the Sierra About 80 employees are to move in by fall and ficials hope will revitalize Club’s local chapter and others another 30 are applying, including about a dozen the rural town of Welch. have expressed objections. They new hires, said Tina Van Raaphorst, associate Teachers were travelwant more units at below-marsuperintendent of business services. The average ing “hours and hours to annual salary of residents is $62,300, and includes ket rents and taller buildings get to school and back,” janitors, cafeteria workers and bus drivers. to preserve more open space, said Randi Weingarten, During the pandemic, Raskin moved out of including a decades-old garden LISA RASKIN, Jefferson Union AFT union president. “So her mother’s house to share an apartment with a scheduled for razing. this became an idea to High School District teacher friend. But living quarters were tight. The chance So far, the district is opposed spark economic developto move into a place of her own was like hitting the to those changes, inflaming ment and to create housjackpot, said Raskin, who teaches health and social critics. ing.” science. Tenants at the school district complex can stay Jeff Vincent, co-founder and director of the Cen“This is mine,” she said. n up to five years, hopefully using the time to save up ter for Cities & Schools at the University of Cali-
‘More districts really need to consider this model.’
www.pbn.com | PROVIDENCE BUSINESS NEWS | JULY 22-AUGUST 4, 2022 | 15
