FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(LINK TO HIGH RESOLUTION VIDEO OF PRESS CONFERENCE)
(ATTACHED IS A CONCEPTUAL RENDERING OF THE EDUCATION CNETER REDEVELOPMENT)
Media Contact:
James Canning, 313-580-2845, Jcanning@sandi.net
Mike Murad, 619-925-4790, Mmurad@sandi.net
SAN DIEGO UNIFIED TO HELP WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS IN REGION
5 District Properties Could Become Affordable Housing After Board of Education Vote, Create 1,500+ Units
Board of Education to Vote on Resolution to Create Housing for 10% of Workforce Over Next Decade
SAN DIEGO (MARCH 24, 2025) – San Diego Unified School District wants to help address the region’s affordable housing crisis and support their families and educators. During a press conference today at the Eugene Brucker Education Center, Board of Education members introduced three policies that will be considered during Tuesday night’s meeting.
The three policies are:
- Item H1: Resolution that affirms San Diego Unified’s goals and guiding principles for providing affordable workforce housing opportunities for 10% of staff over the next decade.
- Item H2: Resolution to issue a request for proposals to provide workforce housing on five district properties, which expects to yield 1,500 or more affordable units.
- Eugene Brucker Education Center - 4100 Normal Street, San Diego 92103
- Revere Center - 6735 Gifford Way, San Diego 92111
- Fremont/Ballard Center - 2375 Congress Street, San Diego 92110
- Instructional Media Center – 2441 Cardinal Lane, San Diego 92123
- Commercial Street – 2101 Commercial Street, San Diego 92113
- Item H3: Resolution to establish a regional housing finance authority with the San Diego Community College District in accordance with SB 440.
If approved on Tuesday, San Diego Unified’s policy to work with private developers to build affordable homes on five of its own parcels is estimated to create more than 1,500 affordable units. This number nearly doubles the nine educator housing developments that combined for 887 units that have been built (since 2002) or will be (by 2027) across the state of California and are featured in a soon to be released report by the Center for Cities + Schools at UC Berkeley and cityLAB-UCLA, in partnership with the California School Boards Association(CSBA).
“Housing prices continue to rise, and there is a dearth of affordable housing within the footprint of our school district. With these policies we are taking action to ensure San Diego Unified is part of the solution, and doing our part to help the region address its affordable housing crisis,” said Cody Petterson, Board of Education President, San Diego Unified. “Some will question why an institution responsible for educating children cares about affordable housing, the reason is because it will help our students thrive. We should do everything within our ability to ensure families secure stable housing so that housing instability does not distract from their child’s ability to receive a high-quality education at San Diego Unified.”
Richard Barrera, Board of Education Vice President, San Diego Unified at the press conference said, "We consistently hear from students in our district who would love to become educators and give back to their schools and communities, but who worry that they won't be able to afford to live in San Diego and pursue their dreams as educators. By committing to this plan, in which we will be able to offer quality, affordable housing to at least ten percent of our employees, we are taking meaningful action to build a pipeline of future educators, as well as to support the people who right now are in our classrooms creating bright futures for our kids."
In December of last year, the Board of Education held a workshop to get feedback from the community, and its educators about options to proceed with making excess administrative properties available to build affordable housing.
“In San Diego the cost of living is outrageous for educators and our families, which is why we are fighting for an increase to our salaries and more affordable housing options,” said Kyle Weinberg, Education Workforce Housing Committee Member, San Diego Education Association. “San Diego Unified Board of Education and Superintendent recognize the importance of workforce housing, and we are excited to see them stepping up to support our families, and try to address the regional housing crisis.”
"Our paraeducators inspire our San Diego Unified students to become the best versions of themselves, and these proposals align with our union's mission of improving the lives of our members, students, and San Diego community," said Issel Martinez, San Diego Unified paraeducator and president of the California School Employees Association's local Chapter 759. "We are the everyday heroes living in San Diego, many of us with our own families to support. We deserve to come home to a place of our own without the anxiety and fear of having to choose between rent or food on the table for our families. We look forward to the continued collaboration with San Diego Unified leaders in helping to address this problem, and we are supportive of these proposals.”
The policies presented today were outcomes from the December workshop.
Shana Hazan, Board of Education Trustee who was present during the press conference said afterwards, “Investing in affordable workforce housing for our staff is an investment in the future of our students and our community. Research shows that stable housing is a critical social determinant of health. When our employees have access to affordable homes, they experience improved physical and mental wellbeing. This enhances their attendance, performance, and strengthens their ability to support our students in reaching their full potential. By developing housing on district-owned properties – through a process that thoughtfully engages our communities – we’re creating a more stable and resilient workforce, which is essential for achieving our student outcome goals. As we continue to address the housing challenges our staff face, we’re building a brighter future for our educators and our students."
Others leaders in attendance at today’s announcement were Nicole DeWitt, Interim Deputy Superintendent, San Diego Unified School District; Lee Dulgeroff, Senior Executive Director Facilities, Planning and Construction, San Diego Unified School District; Jennifer LeSar, Founding CEO, LeSar Development Consulting; and representatives from San Diego Community College District.
The San Diego Unified Board of Education meeting begins at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. The community is encouraged to attend in person at the Eugene Brucker Education Center located at 4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103 or watch on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@sandiegounifiedschooldistrict. To review the entire meeting agenda, click here, and to learn more about San Diego Unified go to SanDiegoUnified.org.
###
James Canning (He/Him)
Executive Director, Strategic Communications & Information
San Diego Unified School District
jcanning@sandi.net | www.sandiegounified.org
Mobile Phone: 313-580-2845
4100 Normal Street, San Diego, CA 92103
Note: I may send and respond to emails outside of my normal workday or workweek. Please do not feel obligated to reply outside of your normal work schedule. Thank you.
Posts
