Austin is launching a new effort to house and retain teachers as rising costs make it harder to live in the city.
A widening gap between teacher pay and Austin housing costs has created an affordability crisis for district educators. This year, the Austin Independent School District took a step to address that problem by redeveloping the Anita Ferrales Coy facility, formerly Allan Elementary, into mixed-income housing that includes units for teachers. District leaders say the project could become a model as Austin ISD faces a growing number of soon-to-be vacant campuses and looks for ways to help educators find affordable housing.
“We are doing everything we can within our purview of influence,” said Superintendent Matias Segura. “One of the things we have to realize is we are in a much larger market and many of the things are outside of our control, which is why this project is so creative.”…