1 Way to Help Oakland Teachers’ Salaries Go Further? Affordable Housing

Oakland will soon join a growing list of Bay Area cities allocating housing for public school teachers, as districts across the state raise concerns about the cost of living for educators, leading many to leave urban districts — and the profession.

The Oakland Fund, a nonprofit based in the city, announced Thursday that it purchased a 33-unit residential building in the Temescal District, with the goal of providing affordable housing for Oakland Unified School District educators.

“For a teacher to not have to worry about whether they can pay their rent, or whether they can even afford to stay in the community that they love … it’s going to make such a difference,” OUSD interim Superintendent Denise Saddler said.

“I know what difference it’ll make in terms of when we’re responsible for getting our best people here to do what is so important,” Saddler said

In recent years, as the cost of living outpaces the rate of teachers’ salaries, cities across the Bay Area, including San Francisco, have introduced workforce housing developments.

The San Francisco Unified School District opened a 134-unit building in October and broke ground on another 75-unit project last June. San Mateo’s Jefferson Union High School District also has a 122-unit development, which houses about 25% of its eligible workforce.

The housing model’s appeal is growing as teachers’ strikes mount in several Bay Area school districts. Earlier this year, Oakland’s teachers union threatened to strike after a year of contract negotiations, citing low pay and sky-high costs of living in the city. Union President Kampala Taiz-Rancifer said about 60% of the district’s teachers can’t afford to live in Oakland with their current salaries.

The lack of affordable housing options for educators has made it difficult for the district to attract and retain educators. Oakland loses about 400 teachers each year, according to the teachers’ union.

Kyra Mungia, The Oakland Fund’s chief executive officer, said that when staffing instability and classroom vacancies occur, “it’s our kids who end up paying the price.”

“Today, we are showing that a different path is possible,” Mungia said.

Unlike many of the workforce housing developments that Bay Area districts have pursued, the housing will be converted from existing residential units, not built from the ground up. Transferring the units to educators will be a gradual process, as turnover among tenants occurs naturally.

According to the nonprofit, rental rates will vary by unit and be set at 30% of educators’ household income. One bedrooms will be priced between $1,120 and $2,240, while two bedrooms could cost up to $2,560.

Melanie Turner, a special education teacher at Emerson Elementary School, moved into the Idora building in 2024.

“I’ve been here for now my third year, and I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon because of where I live,” she said at the press conference.

During the pandemic, prior to becoming a teacher, Turner and her preschool-aged son had been couch-hopping at friends’ and family members’ homes.

“I was not able to provide for my child in the way that I expected to,” she said. “Now, I can stand here in front of you and say, not only am I able to do that, but I can have savings.

She originally got a lowered price on the unit through a separate program called Teachers Rooted In Oakland. Now her rent will be reduced to 30% of her income.

“I don’t have to worry about, ‘Do I have enough to pay my rent and my groceries and my medical bills and commute costs, if I need to have them?’ I am at peace,” Turner said.

The nonprofit has raised $14 million to purchase a total of 150 residential units for educator housing over the next three years. It also partnered with the city, which committed more than $7.6 million in affordable housing financing toward the first acquisition, the Idora Building.

Mungia said that currently, the city’s multifamily real estate market is depressed, meaning “buildings like these are changing hands.” The Idora Building on Claremont Avenue sold for $12.6 million, half the price it sold for in 2017.

“The question is, who will own Oakland?” she said.

“We are choosing Oakland, owning Oakland,” Mungia said. “We are choosing to invest in the very people who make the city work: Our educators.”

KQED’s Eliza Peppel contributed to this report.