Educator Housing breaks ground March 18

SANTA CRUZ, CA - Santa Cruz City Schools announces they will break ground on their 100-unit Educator Housing Development at 313 Swift Street on Wednesday March 18th with a small ceremony at 2pm. 

Made possible by community support in passing Bond Measures K & L in 2022, the project received necessary city counsel and planning commission approvals last year and has now obtained final construction permits.

The new housing complex, made up of 11 studios, 28 one bedroom apartments, 50 two bedroom apartments and 11 three-bedroom apartments, will be available for both certificated teachers and classified support staff employed by Santa Cruz City Schools. The project is expected to open in 2028 and will feature rents at 60-70% of market rates to lower the cost of living for 100 education employees, allowing us to recruit and retain an amazing team to serve the children and youth in our community.

Santa Cruz City Schools Superintendent Kris Munro noted that this milestone represents over a decade of persistence and planning. “This groundbreaking is the realization of a vision that began in 2015,” said Munro. “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. 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.”

The Educator Housing development is on a parcel of land long owned by Santa Cruz City Schools, adjacent to Gateway School and Sgt. Derby Park.

President of Santa Cruz City Schools Board of Education Kyle Kelley calls housing a pressing need for the community. “I’m especially looking forward to the day we can hand keys to educators and their families and say, ‘You belong here,’” says Kelley.  

“I’m proud to see this project move from years of planning into construction. Educator Housing will help keep the people who teach, mentor, and support our students connected to the community they serve,” Kelley continued. “I’m grateful to the voters who passed Measures K & L, to our engaged community for its advocacy, to district staff for their persistence, and to our city partners for helping us reach this milestone.”