After several years of planning, designing and construction, Los Gatos finally has four below-market-rate housing units for teachers and school staff.
Developer Sarah Chaffin hosted a ribbon cutting at the project site at 20 Dittos Lane on Wednesday, Nov. 2, to celebrate the end of construction and to thank all the community partners who donated time and materials to the units.
“This has been a real old-fashioned barn raising, and it’s really brought the community together,” Chaffin said. “In this time where people are sort of divided, this has really been a unifying project.”
So far, more than 90 people have filled out interest forms for the units, meaning the selection process will be competitive. Applications are not yet open, but updates will be posted on SupportTeacherHousing.org.
Two of the four units have two bedrooms and one bathroom, and two units have one bedroom and one bathroom. Rent will be $1,600 to $2,300. The average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Los Gatos is $3,700, and a one-bedroom apartment is $3,154, according to Zumper.
Chaffin said the units are targeted toward the people in the “missing middle” who, like teachers, makes too much to qualify for traditional affordable housing but not enough to live in the communities where they work.
“What this is, is a pilot program and model,” Chaffin said. “It’s proof that we can replicate this in other communities,”
More than 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony, including Santa Clara County County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who hosted town halls with Chaffin in the early days of the project for teachers to share personal stories about living in trailers or commuting several hours a day after being priced out of Silicon Valley.
“It’s hard to give a kid help after school if you’re somewhere in the Central Valley by that time of day,” Simitian said. “Now our teachers can literally be there for the kids in this community, which I think is a pretty big deal.”
The project has been a long time coming. Los Gatos Town Council approved the development of the four units back in 2018 after several attempts were made to build affordable units at the site.
One of those plans called for 32 units, but neighbors thwarted the project over trees that would have been removed due to fire code.
Some teachers and residents were frustrated that the final project only offered four units since the need is so great.
Councilmember Marico Sayoc, who was mayor at the time of the project’s approval, said building more units would have meant widening the road, which would have been costly.
“You think, ‘Well, it’s just four units.’ No, it’s not, because over the years, the staff, the teachers who live here and work here are going to shape the lives of hundreds if not thousands of kids,” Simitian said.
Tenants will be enrolled in financial empowerment classes to help them save up for a down payment on a house over the course of seven years. Then, a new batch of teachers or school staff can move in.
“The standard of living is so high here, it’s just almost impossible for teachers – on a teacher’s salary – to be able to afford Silicon Valley, so this really gives them a path to home ownership, and will help the school district and help them to be better employees and teachers,” Los Gatos Union School District Superintendent Paul Johnson said. “We’re really thrilled.”
The community came together and offered discounted or donated materials for the apartment complex to keep construction and rent affordable.
Los Gatos Roofing constructed the roofs for free, and Adnac Fire Protection donated a $13,000 fire sprinkler system to the build.
While the units are below market rate, Chaffin and designer Jeff Chapman made the space feel luxurious and comfortable. The units have 9-foot-high ceilings, stainless steel appliances, and granite countertops that were sourced from the leftovers of a local luxury build.
“In my teaching career, I’ve seen many colleagues come and go due to the financial situation regarding housing,” said Daves Avenue Elementary School teacher Dianna Hill. “To know that we have an opportunity for secure housing is going to be a win-win for our students and our community.”
Source: www.mercurynews.com