SCOE Employee Housing Update

08/31/2018 -

Thank you to all SCOE employees who completed the Employee Housing Survey to help us determine need for additional school employee housing in Sonoma County. Read on for an overview of the survey results and an update on SCOE's efforts to partner with a developer to build affordable housing on SCOE-owned land.

SCOE is currently requesting proposals from developers for an affordable teacher housing development on a little under three acres of vacant land owned by SCOE. SCOE would provide the land with the hope that the developer could work with local nonprofits to fund the construction of the housing and manage the project. However, we will need to receive a viable proposal in order to proceed. Proposals are due in late September. The hope is to build up to 35 units, but that will depend on what the developers propose as options for that property. The housing would be open to SCOE and Sonoma County school district employees.

Nearly 150 people responded to the survey (out of about 375 SCOE employees). About 45 percent said they’d be somewhat or very interested in this housing option—roughly the same percent that said they'd considered leaving SCOE employment due to housing costs.

Enthusiasm seems high among employees for this project, so we hope to receive a proposal with a viable path forward so that we can proceed. We will keep you posted as this progresses.