California officials have stated that housing shortages are one of the reasons for the shrinking teacher workforce, and the state’s Department of Education is planning to convert undeveloped school land into affordable housing.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Thurmond, announced in a statement on July 30 that the plan aims to build 2.3 million new housing units on the 75,000 acres of land owned by educational institutions statewide.
Currently, school districts across the state collectively hold about 150,000 acres of land, with research showing that approximately 75,000 acres of this land is suitable for residential development.
Qualified residents include educational staff such as administrators, food service workers, bus drivers, and special education aides. The plan also promises to provide rental rates 50% below market prices.
According to a 2021 study by UCLA and UC Berkeley, more than one-third of public school employees are facing “excessive housing cost burdens,” where housing expenses exceed 30% of their income. The report specifically highlights the severe impact of this issue on food service workers, with over half of them affected.
The housing crisis has forced many teachers to choose to relocate to lower-cost areas within the state or simply leave California altogether. The study indicates that public schools have been losing an average of 12% of teachers annually in recent years.
Moreover, high teacher turnover rates weaken the continuity of teaching and the establishment of relationships between teachers and students, affecting students’ performance in English and math.
Thurmond pointed out that in recent decades, especially since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the declining student population in public schools has led to underutilization of infrastructure and resources in many schools, which can now be reallocated.
During a press conference, representatives from school districts that have already developed housing projects shared their experiences.
The Jefferson Union High School District near San Francisco in San Mateo County was one of the first school districts to begin building teacher housing.
In 2022, the district developed a housing project with 122 units, accommodating about 25% of staff. Board member Andy Lie stated that this project significantly improved the district’s staff turnover issue, reducing the annual turnover rate from 25% to zero vacancies.
Lie said, “The morale of staff has improved. Most importantly, we cannot provide the best education when educators are struggling with housing insecurity.”
The second largest school district in the United States, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), developed three housing projects totaling 185 units between 2014 and 2017. The district is considering developing nearly ten more housing sites in the future.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho mentioned at the press conference that the high cost of living in the area determines the district’s ability to recruit, retain, and motivate its workforce, not only through salaries and benefits but also by enabling their workforce to live in the communities where they teach and work.
School districts can finance these projects through local bonds and state tax credits, including the $500 million allocated in the 2020 state budget for educator housing.
Thurmond stated that districts can choose to lease land to developers or sell it, noting that financially struggling districts may find that these lands are valuable assets with high market value that can help improve their financial situation.
He also emphasized that in addition to ensuring funding, the Department of Education needs to collaborate with local governments to ensure there is enough flexibility in zoning and project permitting. At the state level, Governor Newsom signed a law in 2022 allowing housing construction on school-owned land.
According to UCLA’s research, 46 school districts have expressed interest in this initiative.