Residents in San Jose, Calif., are opposing a plan proposed by the local school district to relocate two schools to a new site and build affordable housing in their place, arguing that the move would hurt home prices, reports MarketWatch reporter Jacob Passy. The proposal would ideally provide more affordable housing for teachers in the area.
However, local residents are fighting the plan with an online petition.
The petition argues that such a move would “negatively impact the aesthetics of the area” and that the affordable housing would cause home prices to drop. “Low-cost housing is not consistent with the surrounding areas,” the petition reads. The petition also raises concerns regarding moving the two schools to the edge of the Almaden Valley neighborhood from their more central location currently.
Many people who signed the petition echoed these concerns. “Taking away two fantastic neighborhood schools to bring in low-income housing is absolutely ridiculous,” one woman wrote. “There are plenty of other places in San Jose to build. This would devalue home prices in the area significantly. This isn’t really a consideration, is it?”
But school district officials argue that affordable housing is a critical need. The school district told local television news affiliate KGO that it needs to recruit roughly 200 teachers each year, but is struggling to do so because teachers are steering clear of San Jose because of the high cost of housing in the area.
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