Affordable teacher housing. An example from New York.
Thankfully this is not as pressing an issue in Jacksonville as it is in some other cities. Nevertheless it warrants some thought. The problem is that escalating home prices push out essential service workers such as public school teachers, nurses and fire fighters. This is being tackled in various ways.
New York City, for example, is using funds from the teachers' pension fund to build affordable housing for its teachers.
Board member Tom Merten sends this article from USA Today.
Cheaper NYC teachers' housing could be model.
I was looking at the Fair Housing Act recently (to win an argument about institutional racism with a friend...long story), and this article/concept makes me wonder: how does this project get around non-discriminatory regulations since they're building homes strictly for teachers? Technically this is discriminatory, although I don't doubt it's quite positive.
Does it have something to do with the financing (using the pension fund)?
Right outside my RADO window sits a property we all daydream about, the old John Gorrie high school, current home of the Teacher Supply Depot. Perhaps, someday, in the not-too-distant future, we could house some Duval County teachers in lovely, affordable lofts...instead of manilla folders, those big fat crayons, and some old lady's musical instruments.
See? That huge yellow-brick opportunity out there? I look at it every day and wonder.
What do you think John Gorrie should be?
New York City, for example, is using funds from the teachers' pension fund to build affordable housing for its teachers.
Board member Tom Merten sends this article from USA Today.
Cheaper NYC teachers' housing could be model.
I was looking at the Fair Housing Act recently (to win an argument about institutional racism with a friend...long story), and this article/concept makes me wonder: how does this project get around non-discriminatory regulations since they're building homes strictly for teachers? Technically this is discriminatory, although I don't doubt it's quite positive.
Does it have something to do with the financing (using the pension fund)?
Right outside my RADO window sits a property we all daydream about, the old John Gorrie high school, current home of the Teacher Supply Depot. Perhaps, someday, in the not-too-distant future, we could house some Duval County teachers in lovely, affordable lofts...instead of manilla folders, those big fat crayons, and some old lady's musical instruments.
See? That huge yellow-brick opportunity out there? I look at it every day and wonder.
What do you think John Gorrie should be?
posted by Jennifer McCharen @ 8:21 AM
2 Comments:
At October 15, 2007 at 12:05 PM ,
Anonymous said...
The initial poster mused "...how does this project get around non-discriminatory regulations since they're building homes strictly for teachers?" Who is being discriminated against? That would be people who are not teachers. To my knowledge, non-teachers are not a protected class (pun intended)in so far as discrimination is concerned. Now if teacher housing at John Gorrie were limited only to teachers of Slavic heritage and other ethnicities were excluded by policy, that would presumably be breaking federal and state anti-discrimination laws. Keep in mind that I am not an attorney. I have had neighbors tell me that they were teachers and could not afford to buy in this neighborhood.
At October 15, 2007 at 12:12 PM ,
Jennifer McCharen said...
hooray! Our first comment!
I did a little research, and you're mostly right. Not so much about "non-teachers", but about jobs in general. The relevant part of the Fair Housing Act prohibits:
"Advertising the sale or rental of a dwelling indicating preference of discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin (and, as of 1988, people with disabilities and families with children.)"
So apparently you can absolutely discriminate by occupation.
I bet the fishmongers union has had some lawsuits about this, but it's not in the constitution yet!
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