Recruiting and retaining good teachers necessarily involves making sure those teachers have a safe, decent, and affordable place to live.

I have developed many new construction, single-family homes over the past 8 years for the <80% AMI market. Most of the homes sold have been to local school teachers. Their salaries fall squarely into the band to qualify for down-payment assistance, and owning their own home is an enormous boost to their family’s life, and future economic security. Owning a home helps stabilize families, and for school teachers, incentivizes them to stay near their place of work.

Finding solutions to the affordable housing crisis will take multiple people and entities coming to the table. In Bentonville, Arkansas, it is the school district coming to the table with a solution that serves to strengthen their workforce and avoid blight. This district is building housing for their teachers on surplus school land that would normally be put out for bid or sit vacant for years.

This is a true win-win.