Teacher Housing Project In Palo Alto Gets Supervisors' Approval

PALO ALTO, CA — Construction on a 110-unit Palo Alto housing project for teachers is expected to begin in the fall after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval on Tuesday.

The project at 231 Grant Avenue, proposed by Supervisor Joe Simitian in 2018, is expected to provide units to six school districts in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Seventy-seven units will be offered to teachers and staff at the Palo Alto Unified School District, Mountain View Whisman School District, Los Altos School District, Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District, and Foothill-De Anza Community College District. Another 32 units will go mostly to teachers and staff at the Ravenswood City School District.

Simitian, a former school board member in Palo Alto, said in a news release the project will cut down the commute time for local teachers and help retain staff.

“No one wins when local teachers have to commute from miles and miles away. It’s just that much harder to attract and retain the best teachers available,” Simitian said. “Time in the car is time not spent with students or preparing lesson plans. And our teachers become more and more remote from the communities where they teach. By having teachers work and live nearby, we’re strengthening their role in the community.”

Palo Alto Mayor Pat Burt added that the project would help provide “missing middle” moderate-income housing. The city council reserved $3 million in 2018 to support the project and is expected to ratify the proposal at an upcoming meeting.

“Palo Alto is an enthusiastic co-sponsor of this project which will support 110 teachers and education staff to live closer to their work,” Burt said. “We look forward to welcoming teachers and staff from throughout the area to Palo Alto.”

County staff will finalize funding agreements with the respective school districts. The project’s anticipated completion is fall 2024.

“This teacher housing project has long been on our wish list, and now that it’s finally received full approval it makes the dream one step closer to reality,” said Kate Schermerhorn, President of the Los Altos Teachers Association and teacher at Springer Elementary. “We’re grateful for the community’s support of this project and for helping to make teachers' lives a little less stressful by increasing access to affordable housing near our school communities.”