The affordable housing shortage in the U.S. is particularly acute in California, where less than one-third of the state’s households can afford a median-priced home that now tops $600,000, or more than twice the national average.
School districts in California’s priciest regions have had trouble attracting and holding onto K-12 teachers whose midrange annual salaries, statewide, are from $67,032 to $87,373 for high school districts; $65,210 to $81,840 for elementary school districts; and from $63,243 to $74,676 for Unified School Districts, according to the California Department of Education.
An analysis last year by EdSource found that in 47 Bay Area school districts, even the highest-paid teachers could only afford a one-bedroom apartment.
To address this need, several of the state’s counties and school districts—including those in Santa Clara, San Francisco, Sonoma County, West Contra Costa, and Mountain View—have either approved the construction of affordable housing for teachers and staff, or are considered it.
One of these districts is Jefferson Union High School in Daly City, where in June 2018 voters approved Measure J, a $33 million general obligation bond to help pay for the construction of affordable apartments for teachers and staff, a first for this state.
This $61 million Serramonte Faculty and Staff Housing project for Jefferson Union High School District broke ground on February 5, and its first units are scheduled to available in the spring of 2022. The facility will consist of 122 apartments, with 59 one-bedroom, 55 two-bedroom, and eight three-bedroom units. The homes will range from 640 to 1,270 sf. Most important, the units’ rent rates will be 50% of market rates at the time occupancy.
J.H. Fitzmaurice, a general contractor based in Emeryville, Calif., is the GC on this project, which SVA Architects designed. The school district, comprised of five schools and a Youth Health Center, has just under 4,900 students, according to the latest data.
A September 2017 survey of the district’s employees (48.5% of whom were tenured teachers), found that 25% of 266 respondents said they were “very interested” in employee housing, 14% were “somewhat interested,” and 24% “would consider” leasing. At the time of the survey, 41.2% of 262 respondents said they owned their homes.
Nearly one-quarter of total respondents were paying between $2,000 and $2,499 per month in rent or mortgage, 13.2% were paying $2,500 to $3,000, and 12.8% were paying more than $3,000. That translated to 29.7% of respondents who were spending 31% to 40% of their household monthly incomes for rent or mortgage, 17.7% paying between 41% and 50% of their incomes, and 13.5% paying more than 50%.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | May 27, 2015
‘European’ living comes to The Woodlands with its first condo tower
Treviso at Waterway Square will offer a dynamic downtown setting with numerous live/work/play options.
Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015
Zaha Hadid unveils 'interlocking lattice' design for luxury apartments in Monterrey, Mexico
Hadid's scheme was inspired by the Mexican tradition of interlocking lattice geometries.
Multifamily Housing | May 19, 2015
Study: Urban land use policies costs U.S. economy $1.6 trillion a year
The research contends that more affordable housing options can help cities generate significantly more income.
Multifamily Housing | May 17, 2015
New York City runs into affordable housing dilemma
New York City’s affordable housing policy has created attractive low-cost housing, but the price of success has been high.
Sponsored | Coatings | May 14, 2015
Prismatic coatings accent the new Altara Center
This multi-use campus will contain a university, sports facilities, medical center, and world-class shopping
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
Colorado House kills construction defects bill
The legislation would have made it harder for condo owners to sue builders.
Multifamily Housing | May 1, 2015
Trade groups extend campaign to promote apartment living
The groups claim that there are more than 37 million Americans—12% of the population—living in just under 20 million apartment units nationwide. Apartments and their residents contribute $1.3 trillion annually to the economy.
