Santa Clara County Eyes Teacher Housing in Cupertino

Cupertino, home to such tech firms as Apple, has homes priced between $2 million and $3 million, with rents generally beyond the reach of schoolteachers.

That’s why Santa Clara County and Hayward-based Eden Housing plan to build a 250-unit apartment complex for teachers and staff at 10333 Wolfe Road, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Pending approvals, the 5-acre project launched two years ago with a land swap from Apple, is expected to open by 2028. The average monthly rent for an apartment in Cupertino is $3,158, according to Apartments.com.

The workforce housing is expected to provide homes for 75 to 100 teachers and staff, south of Interstate 280 and the Apple Park campus. The average starting salary for a teacher in Cupertino is $80,475.

The project, to be developed by Eden, is expected to be approved next year. It would be built next to the defunct Vallco Mall, being turned into a 2,400-unit housing, retail and office development.

The idea was hatched by Supervisor Joe Simitian, who heard tales of teachers commuting long distances or living doubled-up in tiny apartments because they couldn’t afford housing near their schools.

Concern for teacher housing has mounted throughout the Bay Area, where it’s hard for educators to find affordable homes.

Teachers and school employees often fall into the “missing middle” — people who make too much money to qualify for traditional affordable housing, but not enough to afford a pricey Bay Area home.

Last fall, the Mountain View Whisman School District and the city built a 123-unit apartment complex for teachers that opened in February. Two years ago, Los Gatos developed a four-unit affordable complex for its teachers.

Last year, Daly City opened a 122-unit apartment building for teachers, faculty and staff from the Jefferson Union High School District. The Palo Alto City Council recently approved a proposal to build 55 units of housing for local teachers.

In the East Bay, the Berkeley Unified School District is building 110 units of affordable housing for its district staff.

— Dana Bartholomew