Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/602151
THE SOLUTIONS: says San Jose Teachers Association Presi- dent Jennifer omas. "It's getting harder to recruit and retain folks here, and the cost of living is the No. 1 reason across the board." Sh e notes that th e city of San Jose's Teacher Homebuyer Program was ver y successful during the decade it was in place, assisting more than over 700 teachers. In fact, more than one out of 10 teachers in San Jose received a THP loan to buy a home. But the program was shut down in 2011 — about the same time that hous- ing costs began to soar, rivaling those of San Francisco. Housing for educators UESF leadership has been meeting for months with representatives from th e Mayor's Office of Housing and Commu- nity Development and SFUSD to consider housing assistance for teachers and par- aeducators, and its efforts are beginning to pay off. On Oct. 21, the mayor and SFUSD announced a plan that w ould provide stable housing for some 500 educators by 2020. e plan includes building a 100-unit housing complex on district property, and investing in programs over the next five years to help educators buy homes and take advantage of rental subsidies. Specifically, the plan aims to provide 200 forgivable loans through the Teacher Next Door down payment assistance program, which started in 2009, ran out of money last year, and will now be renewed since voters approved a $310 million bond mea- sure on the November ballot. e plan will also provide $250,000 in housing counsel- ing services that connect educators with below-market rate housing programs and eviction prevention services. Brick and mortar housing for teachers already exists in some districts. For the past 15 years, the Casa del Maestro ("House of the Teacher") apartment complex in the city of Santa Clara has offered 70 one- and two-bedroom units built on district-owned land to new Santa Clara public school teachers at reduced rental rates ranging from $1,110 to $1,805 a month for a maxi- mum of seven years. Los Angeles Unified School District has planned three such apartment complexes for its teachers. Sage Park Apartments next to Gardena Senior High School has already opened and features 90 units. e 29-unit Norwood Learning Village near the Univer- sity of Southern California is expected to open late next year, and construction has started on the 66-unit, four-story Selma Housing project scheduled to open in 2016. Low-cost housing for teachers is also under consideration in San Mateo County to help stem the teacher exodus. Leshefsky says she would gladly take advantage of any affordable teacher housing with reasonable rent. Ravey, on the other hand, says he doesn't believe in "teacher segregation" and thinks it is important for teachers to live in a mix of residential hous- ing, fearing the creation of "teacher ghettos." Valuing educators Many believe the real issue is valuing teach- ers enough to pay them a livable wage. Star ting t ech w orkers earn more than $100,000, with bonuses and stock options. P u b li c s c h o o l t e a c h e r s of t e n st a r t a t $40,000, with gradual salary increases. is di sp arity i s unfair, especially when you consider that close to 86 percent of school- age children in the heart of Silicon Valley attend public school. "No wonder teach- ers are oft en lured from the classroom to tech jobs," asserts Ravey. Th e s o arin g c o st of h ou sin g in S an Francisco means that SFUSD coffers are rebounding from lean years. With contract reopeners on wages set for fall 2016, UESF leadership has already put the school board on notice that it should prioritize paying educators a wage that gives them a fighting chance to live in the city. Ben Ravey Three California cities top the list of the least affordable big cities for educators. Credit: AJ+ 26 cta.org F E A T U R E