Opinion: DPS must act quickly to build teacher housing on empty school land

In Denver’s dynamic school environments, our educators are at the heart of shaping tomorrow’s leaders. Yet, as so many essential workers do, they grapple with the challenge of affording a home in the very city they enrich. This predicament isn’t unique to Denver; it’s mirrored in many parts of the country.

Public support for housing for our educators is as clear as it is essential. We will struggle to recruit and retain teachers, especially those who are Black, indigenous and people of color, into Denver Public Schools without a path to reasonable housing in the city. Yet, we’ve struggled with a tangible plan to implement housing development.

As community members committed to housing for educators, we’ve researched other cities and programs, and spoken to our leaders in education, the mayor’s office, and housing developers.

We believe Denver and DPS can move quickly to begin providing housing by taking these steps:

First, DPS should lease available land throughout the city. In addition to the potential consolidation of schools, the district can reassess how much non-building land each school campus needs. A review and different outlook would free up hundreds of acres throughout the city.

DPS should not sell the land — rather it can lease it out for a 99-year term for $1 to developers who commit to long term affordability. The Roaring Fork School District recently led the way, working with Habitat for Humanity to build housing. Here in Denver the city did something similar with McGregor Square, allowing the Colorado Rockies to develop a parking lot. The cost savings helped allow for a Tattered Cover to be situated there.

Second, we need support from the city of Denver to fast-track and expedite zoning plans to allow for development. Removing barriers will both save time and generate tremendous cost savings that will help with affordability. We believe this step is firmly in line with Mayor Mike Johnston’s view for housing and anticipate a Community Planning and Development agency that is willing to collaborate.

Next, we will partner with developers interested in building educator-based housing. Mercy Housing, a not-for-profit developer headquartered in Denver, is already innovating on housing options for educators. This week, they are announcing a partnership with Meta (previously known as Facebook) to build housing for teachers in Santa Clara, California. In partnership with the county and the local school districts, Mercy Housing received a sizable donation from Meta (previously known as Facebook) to create 110 affordable homes for educators and school staff.

The combination of Meta’s investment, coupled with Mercy Housing’s mission and capacity, resulted in a dynamic opportunity for affordable housing. To be clear, housing partners could also leverage tax credit opportunities at the municipal, state, and federal level for similar outcomes.
These three attainable steps — cheap land acquisition, expedited zoning processes, and partnerships with public developers, with private engagement — can allow Denver to quickly realize its obligation to our educators.

Admittedly, once housing is developed, there are key unanswered questions, primarily with rules around which educators qualify and the path to ownership. For instance, will an educator need to presently be employed to live in the housing? And what are the durations of the leases, and how can we help our educators build equity?

We are encouraged by the community agreement processes that have occurred with Fox Park and the Ball Arena discussions presently and believe a similar community-based discussion within DPS is needed.

We need to leverage open system approaches, where community co-creation can help move towards real solutions for communities. We believe DPS, the Denver Classroom Teachers Association, and the city can work together to lead similar community forums that move swiftly to action.

By learning from others and adapting to our local needs, we can ensure our educators have a place to call home in the heart of Denver. The time for action is now. Let’s rally together and give our educators the homes they truly deserve.

Jessica Dominguez is a teacher for Denver Public Schools and a housing advocate. Ismael Guerrero is the CEO of Mercy Housing, and Kwame Spearman is an at-large candidate for Denver Public School Board.

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