News Update

Oakland resident teacher housing program celebrates second year

Oakland government and education officials on Wednesday touted the second year of a pilot program to provide subsidized housing to teacher-residents.

Teachers Rooted in Oakland, or TRIO, kicked off last year with 12 participants. This year, it is offering subsidized housing to nine teacher residents and provided housing stipends to another nine teacher residents. Seven of the program’s participants live at a new apartment complex on the city’s west side, and pay $375 a month for rent; the rest of the $1800 rent is covered by philanthropic organizations.

Teacher-residents in Oakland complete a yearlong residency in which they shadow current teachers before becoming credentialed teachers themselves. They receive a yearly stipend of $15,000.

The program was launched in an effort to attract and retain more Black and Latino teachers. Mayor Libby Schaaf, at a news conference outside of the apartment complex Wednesday, said teachers in specialized subjects such as STEM and special education were recently surveyed; 78% reported that they may have to leave teaching because of the cost of housing in Oakland. Studies also show that teachers of color are “heavily rent-burdened,” Schaaf said. In Oakland, 61% of teachers of color pay more than 30% of their income on rent.

“We know that in cities like Oakland, we need to bridge the gap between the unacceptably low pay that teachers receive and the unexpectedly high cost of housing in the Bay Area,” Schaaf said.