In an effort described as a major stride towards addressing the housing crisis for educators, the San Diego Unified School District is set to move forward with groundbreaking plans for over 1,500 affordable workforce housing units across five District-owned properties, with the Board of Education poised to authorize negotiations with selected proposers this Wednesday. Superintendent Fabi Bagula emphasized the importance of providing affordable housing options for educators, saying, per the San Diego Unified School District, "Our schools are at their best when the people who teach, support, and care for our students can also call this community home."
The San Diego Unified School District outlined the distinct proposals for each location, consisting of various unit sizes and financial benefits to the District, which include the 943-unit project by Affirmed Housing Group at the Eugene Brucker Education Center, anticipated to net the District some $296 million in ground lease revenue over 99 years and hundreds more units across the remaining sites, all with no District funds required. Yet, even with the emphasis on adding new resources, the design of these proposals also includes direct perks for the neighboring communities, such as a new childcare center at the Revere Center by Decro Corporation and improved facilities at other sites.
Detailed evaluations of the 15 submissions by a cross-functional committee paved the way for the selection of these particular proposals. The committee was composed of District staff and local experts, reflecting a process lauded for its transparency and community input. In addition to the anticipated fiscal gains, the District's Senior Executive Director of Facilities Planning & Construction, Lee Dulgerof, underscored the process, noting "the proposals selected rose to the level of what our educators, support staff, and community deserve," according to the San Diego Unified School District.
These developments come in the wake of the District's March decision to develop the properties, which is suggested to nearly double the number of educator housing units statewide compared to previous efforts, and if negotiations are successful and follow the proposed terms, San Diego Unified anticipates an injection of approximately $504 million in revenue over 99 years from these properties, a significant financial uplift and an investment in the community's educators. This aligns with comparable trends in educator housing initiatives, as highlighted in a joint report by the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley and cityLAB-UCLA in partnership with the California School Boards Association. Interested parties can find further information regarding the proposals on the Board of Education agenda, with the meeting set for 5:00 PM on Wednesday, December 10.
