1. What is the Housing for Heroes initiative?

Housing for Heroes is a plan to build and secure affordable housing specifically for PPS teachers and staff so they can live in the communities they serve. As Portland's housing costs skyrocket, teachers are forced to move farther away—damaging relationships with students, increasing burnout, and driving teacher turnover. PPS will take direct action to create housing, partner with the city to repurpose vacant space, and offer incentives for landlords and homebuyers, ensuring teachers can afford to live within district boundaries.

2. Why is this a problem for PPS?

PPS teachers are being priced out of Portland. Many now commute from Vancouver, Gresham, or even Salem because they can't afford to live near their schools. This hurts kids, as teachers burned out from long commutes can't engage fully in school life, and high turnover means students lose trusted educators. At the same time, PPS owns vacant properties and wings of buildings that sit empty and could be used for housing.

3. What specific actions will PPS take?

1. Teacher Housing Co-Ops

   • Launch a pilot affordable housing cooperative for educators using unused PPS property, such as vacant wings at Jefferson High School or Harriet Tubman Middle School.

   • Cap rents at no more than 20% of a teacher's household income to ensure affordability.

   • After the pilot, expand Co-Ops to other suitable PPS sites.

2. PPS-City of Portland Housing Partnership

   • Partner with the City of Portland and Prosper Portland to convert city—and district-owned vacant properties into affordable housing for teachers, including empty commercial space (Portland has a 12% downtown vacancy rate).

   • Negotiate immediate waivers of city permitting and infrastructure fees to keep costs low and speed up development.

3. Landlord Tax Incentives & Rebates

   • Launch a "Live Where You Teach" landlord incentive program that gives property tax breaks to landlords who offer below-market rents to PPS teachers.

   • Implement strong oversight and compliance monitoring to prevent abuse and ensure only qualified teachers benefit.

4. Homebuyer Assistance Grants

   • Provide up to $50,000 in down payment assistance for PPS educators buying homes within district boundaries.

   • Fund these grants by redirecting a portion of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) revenues currently flowing into urban renewal zones that often benefit corporations more than communities.

4. What immediate steps will PPS take to get this moving?

• Launch a Teacher Co-Op pilot project in 2025 on PPS-owned property.

• Start direct negotiations with the Portland City Council and Prosper Portland to fast-track affordable housing conversions.

• Roll out the "Live Where You Teach" landlord rebate program with clear eligibility and enforcement rules to ensure teachers benefit directly.

5. What's the timeline for implementation?

Immediate (2025):

• Begin first Teacher Co-Op pilot on PPS land.

• Form a joint PPS-City task force to identify and repurpose additional vacant properties.

• Start landlord rebate and incentive program.

Short-term (2026-2027):

• Complete the first Teacher Co-Op and move in educators.

• Convert downtown vacant spaces into teacher housing.

• Launch and distribute homebuyer grants to teachers.

Ongoing (2027 and beyond):

• Expand Teacher Housing Co-Ops to more district sites.

• Report regularly on teacher housing availability, affordability, and retention impact to ensure public accountability.

6. Why should PPS lead this effort and not wait for the city or state?

Because PPS owns the buildings and the land—and it's our teachers and students suffering right now—the city has its own housing crises to manage, but PPS can and should take direct control over making sure teachers can afford to stay here. By using PPS property and resources and partnering with the city where needed, we can act faster and more directly than waiting for the state to solve the problem for us.

7. How will this improve education for Portland students?

• Teachers living in the community means stronger connections with students and families.

• Less turnover and burnout means more stable, consistent classrooms.

• Shorter commutes free up teachers' time and energy for after-school programs, coaching, and parent engagement.

8. How will PPS pay for this?

• Reallocate existing PPS-owned vacant properties—no new land purchases are needed.

• Cut administrative waste and redirect some central office funds into housing initiatives.

• Use redirected TIF revenues currently handed to corporate developers to fund homebuyer grants for educators.

• Negotiate city fee waivers to reduce development costs.

9. How is this different from just raising teacher salaries?

Raising salaries is essential (and we are pushing for that too). Still, no salary increase will keep pace with Portland's runaway housing market if we don't create affordable options. Directly creating housing, offering rebates, and helping with home purchases gives teachers the stability they need now—without waiting for long-term salary fights to resolve.