Abode Communities, Mercy Housing California and the County of Santa Clara are planning to build affordable teacher housing at 231 Grant Ave. starting in spring 2022.

At the Oct. 19 Palo Alto Unified School District’s board meeting, Abode Communities representatives shared plans to create 110 available units on Grant Avenue that would house both PAUSD and other school districts’ teachers. If the project materializes, these districts will fund the housing by providing grants. PAUSD will be given 26 of these units.

“The housing prices here are just kind of catastrophic … the teachers make an incredible wage compared to schools just outside this district, but it’s still not comparable to what it would cost for rent in the area.”

— Kenna Gallagher, photography teacher

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One of the goals of this project is to provide easier access to housing closer to PAUSD campuses.

“I have an hour in either direction on the way to school,” Palo Alto High School photography teacher Kenna Gallagher said. “An hour where there is a large possibility for traffic accidents, getting stuck and not being able to make it to school. This [long commute] could impact students and also my health and safety.”

Gallagher believes PAUSD’s plan to provide teachers with affordable housing is a step in the right direction.

“I think it would be nice to have access to affordable housing,” Gallagher said. “The housing prices here are just kind of catastrophic … the teachers make an incredible wage compared to schools just outside this district, but it’s still not comparable to what it would cost for rent in the area.”