Nearly two dozens of people who work for the Los Angeles Unified School District have a rare opportunity that other Angelenos would envy: living near their workplace without breaking the bank.
Thanks to the district’s workforce housing development program, some 20 LAUSD workers are renting an apartment — ranging from one-bedroom to three-bedroom units — near their workplaces in the South Los Angeles area by USC.
At Norwood Learning Village, developed by Thomas Safran and Associates, rents for units here are based on up to a 60% income. That means a three-bedroom unit can cost from $866 to nearly $2,600.
Rudy De Los Santos, a case manager for the LAUSD, and her son have lived at the party for seven years — right across from an elementary school that she serves.
“It’s been a blessing,” De Los Santos said, adding that before moving into the community, she had to work two jobs to hold onto her apartment. And she still lived far from her work, she said.
The LAUSD housing program works as the district-owned properties are financed by nonprofit housing developers. The district said it does not use the LAUSD funds to construct the housing developments.
“Right now, more sites are being reviewed in (four) neighborhoods to add more of this type of affordable housing, which is needed,” a spokesperson for the LAUSD told NBCLA.
The housing program, which dates back more than a decade, currently provides a total of 185 apartments across several locations.
For school employees, from teachers to food staff workers to nurses, affordability is top of mind, including labor negotiations in April. At this time, SEIU, one of the unions representing hundreds of the LAUSD employees, said the district-run housing is limited, and the best long-term solution is ensuring workers are paid livable wages.
In response, the district said it’s pursued housing as part of its broader employee-support strategy, not a substitute for wages.