Jefferson Union High School District Faculty & Staff Housing
/Brookwood Partners was the Development Manager to JUHSD for 705 Serramonte, a 122-unit workforce housing project for faculty and staff in Daly City, CA. Brookwood led the design, approval, environmental review, and start-up operations at the completion of construction. The project was completed and fully occupied in 2022, and has since been recognized as a pioneering model for addressing educator housing needs in California and nationally.
JUHSD, as with many school districts and community college districts in California, was faced with tremendous challenges in recruiting and retaining faculty and staff due to the high cost of housing in the region. As a result, Brookwood helped the District utilize its surplus property to provide high quality workforce rental housing that serves its faculty and staff by offering below-market rents.
The benefits of the project to the District have been tremendous: for the first time in many years, JUHSD has been able to successfully fill all open positions and dramatically reduce employee turnover.
“I love it, it’s the best decision I made for myself… Living here was my opportunity to stay in the Bay Area, stay close to my family, and be able to go to work.”
QUICK FACTS
Project Name: 705 Serramonte
Owner: Jefferson Union High School District
Real Estate Advisor & Development Manager: Brookwood Partners
Design Architect: Seidel Architects
Design/Build Contractor: J.H. Fitzmaurice with SVA Architects
Opened: May 2022
Total Cost: $75.5M
Funding Sources: Voter-approved bond funds and loans
KEY RESULTS
100% occupied by District employees and their families
Over-capacity with a waitlist
Increased employee retention since opening
Classrooms fully staffed across the District
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why did JUHSD build its own housing? JUHSD is the lowest funded high school district in San Mateo County. Facing an average annual staff turnover rate of 25%, and needing to find ways to retain and recruit staff, the Board began exploring employee housing in 2017.
What was the biggest challenge in building 705 Serramonte? Districts have a lot of experience building schools, but navigating residential permitting and planning processes required extensive support from outside experts.
How was the project funded? The total project cost was $75.5M. $33M was provided by a voter-approved bond passed in 2018. The remaining $42.5M was borrowed through certificates of participation (COPs).
Who lives at 705 Serramonte? To be eligible, renters must be JUHSD non-management employees who work at least 17.5 hours per week and are not homeowners. Priority is given to full-time workers and those with lower household income. There is also a goal of 60% certificated staff and 40% classified staff, which mirrors the makeup of the District. Presently the housing is fully leased up and maintains a waiting list.
How was the building designed to appeal to District employees? It was important to the District that the building be on par with market-rate apartments in the area. The property includes several indoor and outdoor community spaces to encourage residents to socialize. Special attention was paid to the needs of residents—for example, knowing that most tenants would have the same work schedule and need to do laundry at the same time, more laundry facilities were provided relative to what is recommended for a building of this size.
How can 705 Serramonte serve as a model for other education workforce housing projects? JUHSD is proud to be one of the first in the nation to turn this idea into reality. Some key aspects that made the project successful were committed and driven board members, support from experts in housing development, collaborative partnership with labor, and transparency with community stakeholders.
“For other districts that are considering building workforce housing, I would encourage them to move forward… I say go for it.”
“We were challenged with what we could offer teachers, and this project provides a great resource to not only retain our staff, but help them with their dreams. We take a lot of pride in that.”