Faced with rising houses prices that have priced teachers out of the market, Miami-Dade County is ready to try something new.
Miami-Dade County is taking the idea of join-use schools to a new dimension, with a project that would add housing units for teachers on campus.
"Amid a wide gap between modest teacher salaries and Miami’s high housing prices, the county has a new plan: build apartments on school property and let faculty live there," reports Douglas Hanks.
A preliminary proposal includes constructing a new mid-rise middle school in the luxe Brickell area for Southside Elementary, with a floor devoted to residential units, and several more reserved for parking and the classrooms on top. If that goes well, Miami-Dade wants a full-fledged housing complex next to Phillis Wheatley Elementary, with as many as 300 apartments going up on the campus just north of downtown.
According to Hanks, the idea has funding momentum in addition to planning momentum. JP Morgan Chase has chipped in a grant, and "Miami’s Omni Community Redevelopment Area — a downtown tax district with a budget of more than $50 million a year — in January voted to back a complex development agreement that would send dollars to the Wheatley project." The county is also in discussion with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development about more funding for the idea.
FULL STORY: Teachers can’t afford Miami rents. The county has a plan: Let them live at school.
1,000-Plus Mixed-Income Units Planned in Miami
A planned development made possible by a ground lease with the county could add over a thousands mixed income units to the housing market in Miami.
Maps: Where Teachers Can Afford Housing in California
Teachers can't afford to live in the neighborhoods where they teach in California—the biggest gap between teachers' wages and the cost of housing is found in the Bay Area.
Miami Loses Population for the First Time Since 1970
Already one of the nation’s hottest real estate markets before the Covid-19 pandemic, the region became unaffordable for many middle-income households in the last few years.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions