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Employee Housing

Why do we need employee housing?

While San José Unified employees receive salaries and benefits competitive with many other area districts, public education in California is inadequately and inequitably funded. Several neighboring districts have considerably more money to devote to employee compensation than San José Unified has and the high cost of living in the Bay Area is an impediment to continuing to attract and retain the high-quality teachers and staff who make San José Unified schools great. San José Unified’s ability to provide low-cost rental housing will provide more opportunities for employees to live within the community.

What planning has San José Unified done for employee housing?

At the direction of the Board of Education, San José Unified began exploring employee housing possibilities six years ago, in 2018. In 2019, working with land use professionals, San José Unified identified four properties that had the best potential to most quickly yield employee housing while optimizing for community benefit. San José Unified then hired an external firm, Education Housing Partners, to complete an employee housing assessment. This report was completed in June 2020. However, the planning process was put on hold due to the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

How will the final site for employee housing be chosen?

The Board of Education has taken the next step in advancing workforce housing by forming an Advisory Committee on Workforce Housing to prioritize four identified properties. The committee presented its recommendation at the February 13, 2025, Board of Education meeting after thoroughly reviewing the Faculty-Staff Housing Assessment from Education Housing Partners and other relevant information.  

The committee, which includes parents, guardians, community members, San José Unified employee groups, and staff, was tasked with analyzing the assessment and recommending the prioritization of potential employee housing sites. Over the course of five meetings from January 7 to February 4, 2025, the committee visited each of the four proposed sites and engaged in in-depth discussions.  

Based on their analysis, the committee has submitted the following prioritization recommendations for the four potential employee housing properties:  

Site Address Priority
Hillsdale 760 Hillsdale Avenue and 705-745 Capital Expressway San José, CA 95136 1
Bouret 1325 Bouret Drive San José, CA 95118 2
Lenzen 855 Lenzen Avenue San José, CA 95126 3
Broadway 1088 Broadway San José, CA 95125 4

 

Master Plan for San José Unified Priorites

On September 13, 2018, the Board of Education committed to developing a Master Plan for San José Unified Properties to support employee housing. This plan aims to attract and retain high-performing staff, ensuring that students continue to receive the best educational experiences.  

Next Steps 

In alignment with the Advisory Committee on Workforce Housing's recommendation, San José Unified will:  

  1. Prioritize the four potential properties for workforce housing.  

  1. Set an initial project budget of $282.8 million.  

  1. Authorize actions, agreements, and partnerships to analyze the potential entitlement process.  

  1. Update the site plan to align unit availability with employee needs, based on survey data.  

  1. Collaborate with relevant partners to advance the project.  

San José Unified remains committed to finding solutions that support its employees and, ultimately, its students. 

Who will be eligible to live in the employee housing?

No decisions have been made yet regarding the specifics of housing occupancy, including who is eligible, how long a tenant can stay, etc. San José Unified will collaborate with its employee groups and housing experts to develop a plan to present to the Board of Education once a final site for housing has been identified.

How can I share my thoughts or learn more?

Planning for the future is a community-wide endeavor. If you have questions about employee housing, or input that you would like to share, please email us at housing@sjusd.org.