Santa Cruz City Schools to break ground on county’s first educator workforce housing March 18

It was a long shot, but Santa Cruz City Schools is closer to making affordable teacher housing a reality. The district will soon break ground on an affordable housing complex where 100 of its teachers and staff will pay only 60 to 70% of market-rate rents.

District officials this week announced a groundbreaking event on March 18 for the housing project, located on the Westside and with an expected opening date of 2028. The district first started planning for workforce housing over a decade ago, when Santa Cruz County’s housing prices began to rise to what’s now considered the least-affordable rental market in the country — causing high staff turnover rates and recruitment and retention challenges for schools. 

John Roberts, president of the union that represents 415 non-teaching staff, said classified employees are “genuinely excited.”

“This project not only supports those already living in Santa Cruz, but also provides an opportunity for employees commuting from nearby areas to live in the community where they work,” he wrote to Lookout via email. “In a city where housing is so expensive, this is a really positive step forward. As one employee told me, ‘Living next to the beach changes lives!”

Located at 313 Swift St., the property is on a parcel of land long owned by the district near the old Natural Bridges Elementary School campus. Santa Cruz City Schools is building the $80 million housing project with funding from bond measures K and L, which were passed by voters in 2022. The complex will have 11 studios, 28 one-bedroom apartments, 50 two-bedroom apartments and 11 three-bedroom apartments. 

Previously, district officials declined to provide details about rental rates, because rents would be based on rental market conditions when the building opens. Last year, they gave estimates for 65% of market rents at that time: about $1,820 for a studio, $2,080 for a one-bedroom, $2,730 for a two-bedroom and $3,250 for a three-bedroom unit. 

This is a significant step for the district, Superintendent Kris Munro said in a statement. 

“In the most expensive rental market in the nation, providing a place for our teachers to call home is more than just a construction project,” she said. “It is transformative for our entire district. I am filled with profound gratitude for a community that understands that supporting our educators is a direct investment in our students’ future.”

Matt Bruner, president of the teachers union, said teachers have been incredulous about the project getting this far. 

“The groundbreaking will be kind of the first time that it’s really real for a lot of folks,” he said. “This is one of those projects that you sort of expect to fail, especially if you’re in the kind of precarious position of a new teacher or somebody who’s working on a single income.”

He said the teachers have been happy to be part of the design and planning throughout this process. At the same time, he said they still have lots of questions around rents, how the district will decide who gets to live there and the length of leases. 

Bruner said this is just one part of larger efforts to make housing more affordable in the county: “The ultimate goal is … to ensure that teachers can live in the communities that they teach in.”

Kyle Kelley, president of the school board, said in a statement the community is in serious need of affordable housing. 

“I’m especially looking forward to the day we can hand keys to educators and their families and say, ‘You belong here,’” he said.  

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