Jurisdictions statewide are working to connect teachers with available housing options, but one developer?s plan to build and market housing with teachers in mind appears to be a novel approach.
Developer Donald Manekin?s planned 40 apartments at 26th and Howard streets will be marketed to teachers by working with the Baltimore City Public School System?s human resources departments and other organizations that help relocating teachers.
More commonly, jurisdictions are reaching out to real estate firms to strike deals for affordable apartments for teachers, said Daniel Kaufman, spokesman for the Maryland State Teachers Association.
A few years ago, the Charles County School Board partnered with the owner of an apartment complex in La Plata for reduced-rent apartments, and teachers associations in Queen Anne?s, Anne Arundel and Prince George?s counties also are working with real estate firms for housing, Kaufman said.
“I think we support looking at a number of ways to make housing more affordable, although as always, the devil?s in the details,” he said.
Teachers tend to be lumped in a group of public service employees in need of affordable housing solutions.
Howard County Councilman Calvin Ball is pushing a measure that would give teachers, as well as other county employees such as police officers and health department workers, a preference when applying for houses through the moderate-income housing units program.
For example, to qualify to buy a house through Howard?s moderate-income housing program, an individual can make up to 80 percent of the median income, or $51,063.
