Looking to House SF Teachers

The shortage of affordable housing for San Francisco teachers has prompted by Board of Education to take another look at one possible solution.

There are over 4,500 public school teachers in San Francisco and a survey done by United Educators of San Francisco shows that almost a third live outside the city. Now the school district is taking a look at the problem and this week will consider what it would take to convert some surplus school property on Mission and Page streets into subsidized teacher apartments.

United Educators President Dennis Kelly feels it makes sense.

"The community first is the classroom, then the school, and then outside the doors of the school,"  he said. "The problem is people can't afford to live in San Francisco especially when they're just starting out."

Most people seem to agreed that teachers living where they work is a goal worth pursuing, but making that happen is challenging in an expensive housing market such as San Francisco.

The school district would only be able to contribute the land. The two buildings they have in mind could provide housing for 130 teachers and their families, but no organization to run the apartments has been identified yet.