The Californer - San Francisco Breaks Ground on First Educator Housing Project

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San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed and San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne joined local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of Shirley Chisholm Village located on 1360 43rd Avenue in the Outer Sunset. The 135-unit affordable housing development is the first educator housing project for both the City and SFUSD, and is one of only a handful of educator housing developments in the State.

This high-density project presents a unique opportunity to redevelop an underutilized site located in a high-resource area into critically needed mixed-income housing serving San Francisco's educators. In addition to providing 135 affordable homes, Shirley Chisholm Village will include ground-floor office space for a local non-profit organization offering youth services, along with neighborhood-serving space and a community plaza and playground.

All homes at Shirley Chisholm Village will be subject to a tenant preference for SFUSD educators, employees, and their families. Thirty-four units will be set aside for SFUSD educators and employees earning between 40-60% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with the remaining units designated for SFUSD to those earning between 80-120% AMI.

"We know how expensive it is for our educators to afford to live in San Francisco, and this project is one piece of our work to address that issue. This project offers critical housing for SFUSD employees, delivering on the City's promise to better support our educators and their families," said Mayor London Breed. "While today's groundbreaking is a milestone to celebrate, it should also be a moment to recommit to building more housing across the entire city so all working people, including those who work tirelessly with San Francisco students and families, can afford to live in the communities that they serve."

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Previously known as the Francis Scott Key Annex, the site at 1360 43rd Avenue was primarily used as storage by SFUSD for nearly 30 years. The former space also featured a public skate park, community garden and playground. In 2014, SFUSD, United Educators of San Francisco (UESF), and the Mayor's Office partnered to address the housing affordability crisis and its effects on SFUSD employees. In June 2015, the Board of Supervisors and the Board of Education passed resolutions supporting the development of educator housing in San Francisco. In 2017, SFUSD designated the former storage site at 1360 43rd Avenue to be converted to educator housing.

"When educators are able to live in the community in which they work, it leads to more stability for staffing, community involvement, and stronger ties between teachers and families," said Dr. Matt Wayne, Superintendent for the San Francisco Unified School District. "Building affordable homes specifically for educators is another way that we can support and retain a strong professional workforce prepared to serve San Francisco's public-school students and families."

"Today represents a huge step forward for public school educators, new strategies to house our essential workforce, and for the Sunset — and I couldn't be prouder that the Sunset is home to this groundbreaking project," said District 4 Supervisor Gordan Mar. "Shirley Chisholm Village is exactly the kind of affordable housing our essential workers need and deserve, and I am thrilled to support it."

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SFUSD selected the name "Shirley Chisholm Village" to recognize Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 became the first black woman elected to the US Congress and in 1972 the first to run for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. MidPen Housing is the project's lead developer in collaboration with SFUSD, UESF, and the Board of Education to honor Chisholm's legacy of scholarship and service.

"The City of San Francisco and the San Francisco Unified School District embarked on a visionary collaborative partnership to make this affordable housing opportunity a reality, and MidPen is honored to deliver on 135 homes prioritizing educators," said MidPen Housing President and CEO Matthew O. Franklin. "Shirley Chisholm Village will be a model for future educator housing development, and we look forward to welcoming hardworking SFUSD teachers and district employees as residents in 2024."

Shirley Chisholm Village is funded by a mix of federal tax credits, as well as substantial support from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), funded in-part by the voter-approved 2015 Affordable Housing General Obligation Bond. Additional lending and equity financing was provided by Silicon Valley Bank and the National Equity Fund. This project was made possible by the voter-approved Proposition E of 2019, which enabled construction of affordable educator housing on Public zoned lots in San Francisco.

The property will be managed by MidPen Housing, with resident services provided by MidPen Services. Local firms BAR Services, Fletcher Studio Inc., Cahill Contractors, and KPFF Consulting Engineers are also enlisted on the project. The all-electric project includes solar panels and high-efficiency heat pumps to lower utility costs and carbon emissions. The building is expected to welcome its first residents in fall 2024.

Filed Under: Government, City

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