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Affordable teacher housing is scarce. This group is trying an innovative solution in Oakland
The nonprofit plans to rent units to educators first, with tenants paying no more than 30% of income and 90% expected to be teachers within five years.
On Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Oakland Fund unveiled the Idora Building in Temescal, a 33-unit property acquired to provide subsidized housing for Oakland Unified School District educators.
Oakland Unified educators earn an average of $84,000 annually, ranking last in Alameda County, prompting financial strains that forced teachers like Melanie Turner into unstable housing situations.
Financing for the $12.6 million purchase included $7.6 million from the city's Acquisition & Conversion to Affordable Housing fund, with contributions from the Crankstart Foundation and PG&E.
Under the Rooted program, tenants will pay no more than 30% of their income for rent, with the nonprofit expecting full educator occupancy within the next half-decade.
Acquiring the Idora is part of a three-year plan to eventually own 150 units for teachers, a model designed to boost retention, which currently sits at 82% for district staff.