SF mayor allocates $32M for teacher housing amidst homelessness crisis.
San Francisco’s Accelerating Plans for Affordable Housing
After years of obstacles, San Francisco is making significant progress in its efforts to build affordable housing for teachers. In addition, the city has allocated millions of dollars this year to address the homelessness crisis by providing housing and shelters for those in need.
Mayor London Breed’s Funding Selection
Mayor London Breed recently announced the selection of two projects to receive a total of $32 million in newly released city funds. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that one project will consist of a 63-unit housing development at 2205 Mission St., while the other will be a 75-unit housing development located at 750 Golden Gate Ave.
Tackling the Lack of Affordable Housing for Teachers
The city’s efforts to address the lack of affordable housing for teachers have been in progress for years. In 2017, Mayor Ed Lee pledged $44 million to make this vision a reality. In 2019, voters passed Proposition E, which expedited housing production by allowing construction on public lots.
In 2022, the city began construction on the first affordable housing project for educators, providing 134 units in the Outer Sunset neighborhood. A total of $105 million was invested in this project for district employees.
Addressing Rising Rents and Homelessness
These projects were chosen amidst the backdrop of rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing in San Francisco. Mayor Breed’s proposed budget includes increased spending to combat the homelessness crisis, aiming to reduce the number of people living on the streets within five years.
The plan includes the creation of 545 new permanent housing placements, nearly 600 new shelter beds, and 825 prevention and problem-solving placements. The city’s Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing currently has a budget of $636 million for fiscal 2024, with Mayor Breed’s new budget set at $692.6 million.
Improving Teacher Salaries and Rental Market Challenges
The average starting salary for a teacher in California is slightly over $51,000 per year, with entry-level teachers in San Francisco earning around $58,000 annually. To address this, Mayor Breed allocated $60 million last year to increase early childhood educators’ salaries by approximately $8,000 to $30,000 per year. These funds were acquired through the voter-passed Proposition C in 2018.
In the San Francisco metro area, which has one of the most expensive rental markets in the nation, the average asking rent increased by 9.5% at the end of 2022 compared to the previous year, according to an economic research firm.
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