Starting tomorrow, San Francisco educators can breathe a little easier when it comes to housing, as the city opens applications for Shirley Chisholm Village, an affordable housing project dedicated to public school employees. Nestled in the Sunset District, and named for the trailblazing congresswoman and educator advocate Shirley Chisholm, the village is set to welcome tenants by fall 2024, reported KQED.
"People who work in San Francisco should be able to afford to live here, especially our teachers who are critical to our community," said Mayor London Breed in a gesture that acknowledges the invaluable contribution of educators to society, as per a statement on Monday. Applicants eager to call the 135-unit building home, may submit through the city's housing portal, DAHLIA, until April 23, said the mayor's office applications for San Francisco Unified School District faculty and staff will be first in line but come summer a second round for the general public will kick in, according to information provided by MidPen Housing, which includes those educators who missed the initial window will still be given priority.
In a city notorious for sky-high housing costs, Shirley Chisholm Village not only offers a roof but an array of amenities designed to foster community and ease daily life. Residents can look forward to wood plank style flooring, contemporary cabinetry, quartz countertops, and access to high-efficiency, all-electric appliances, MidPen Housing details. Moreover, the development is strategically placed, putting tenants within walking distance of essential and leisure destinations, including the N-Judah Muni line, local eateries, Ocean Beach, and the beloved Golden Gate Park.
The project is a tangible stride toward resolving the city's longstanding affordability crisis for educators, a mission near a decade in the making, since the Board of Supervisors and Board of Education's joint resolution in June 2015 and despite the hurdles, thanks to federal low-income housing tax credits, bank funding, a voter-approved housing bond, and the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development construction finally began in August 2022, according to KQED. The establishment of Shirley Chisholm Village, along with two upcoming educator housing ventures, aims at solidifying the link between those who teach and the communities they serve, forging neighborhoods wherein the pillars of our educational system can thrive and contribute to the future, underscored by Anne Stanley of the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development.
