Teacher Affordable Housing Proposed For Apple Site In Cupertino
Santa Clara County has proposed building an affordable housing project meant for Silicon Valley-based teachers on a parcel owned by Apple in Cupertino.
Joe Simitian, a Santa Clara County supervisor, told the Mercury News he has heard horror stories of teachers working in Silicon Valley schools who have had to commute up to two hours or are forced to live with roommates in cramped apartments just to be able to live and work as an educator.
“You listen to these stories and you think, my God, there’s got to be an answer,” Simitian told the Mercury News. “There’s got to be a solution. And there is.”
His proposal includes the construction of a facility on North Wolfe Road on a lot owned by Apple. The proposal hasn't been approved, and Apple has yet to comment.
Apple is one of many Silicon Valley-based companies that have pledged to help ease the cost-of-living crisis in the Bay Area. In 2019, the company pledged $2.5B to address housing issues in the Bay Area.
“Affordable housing means stability and dignity, opportunity and pride," Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the time. "When these things fall out of reach for too many, we know the course we are on is unsustainable, and Apple is committed to being part of the solution.”
Despite pledges from Apple, Meta and Alphabet, recent reports indicate the three technology giants have contributed about 1,500 units to date. The numbers fall well short of promises from the companies, who have earned the ire of locals who blame the technology boom in the Bay Area for putting many properties out of the reach of ordinary citizens.
Support Teacher Housing, an affordable housing advocacy group, argues that many affordable housing projects fail to account for how it isn't only low-income residents who are priced out of the area but also middle-class residents who work as teachers and can’t pay exorbitant prices.
The group says that less than 1% of the housing created in Santa Clara County has been geared toward residents with moderate incomes.
These trends, added to the pressure on families, are to blame for a decline in school enrollment in districts throughout Silicon Valley, housing advocates say.
The Santa Clara supervisors are slated to vote on approving the Apple-owned site for a project at their regular board meeting on Tuesday.
“This just makes so much sense,” Cupertino Mayor Hung Wei, who served on the Fremont Union High School District School Board for 11 years, said in a statement. “It helps keep our schools strong and provides additional affordable housing in our community. It’s a win-win.”
