San Diego School District Approves Affordable Housing Plan

The district plans to build workforce housing for 10 percent of its employees in the next decade and explore other ways to contribute to housing development.

1 minute read

March 30, 2025, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Front of San Diego High School with students milling around.

Conquerist, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons / Wikimedia Commons

The San Diego Unified School District is stepping into the effort to build more affordable housing, reports Jemma Stephenson for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

The district’s board approved a plan to develop workforce housing for its employees, explore the potential for affordable housing at five district-owned sites, and create a regional housing finance authority with the San Diego Community College District. According to the SDUSD board president Cody Petterson, the affordable housing shortage in the district is driving down school enrollment rates.

After a hearing that included public comment, the board amended the plan to maximize the number of affordable units, rather than the percentage, in a development. “The district plans to have each site host a mix of homes with different income restriction levels, so that the sites are not divided by certificated and classified employees, Petterson added.”

Some of the public speakers called for more density and reduced parking at the proposed housing sites, while others cautioned against blanket changes in height and parking restrictions.

In a similar move, two Phoenix school districts recently partnered with the city to sell district-owned land for affordable housing development.

Thursday, March 27, 2025 in The San Diego Union-Tribune

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

June 25, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Western U.S. indicating public lands that would be for sale under a Senate plan in yellow and green.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands

For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

June 19, 2025 - Outdoor Life

Person wearing mask walking through temporary outdoor dining setup lined with bistro lights at dusk in New York City.

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?

Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

June 19, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of full beer glass with purple train-themed design sitting on bar between two frosty tall cans.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?

TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

7 hours ago - Cities Today

Vintage red Toronto streetcar passing in front of Rogers Arena in Toronto, Canada.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events

Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

June 30 - blogTO

Map of Berlin with ring roads in green and red.

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan

The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.

June 30 - Streetsblog USA

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.