San Diego Unified Approves Largest Educator Housing Plan in California

The school board voted unanimously to convert its district headquarters into an 11-story, 1,500-unit mass timber development focused on affordable housing for teachers and staff.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 2:39pm

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The San Diego Unified School District's Board of Education voted unanimously to rebuild its district headquarters in University Heights into an 11-story, 1,500-unit development focused on affordable housing for teachers and staff. The proposal from developer team PROTEA/Malick was the densest option and includes close to 600 apartments as multi-bedroom units for families. The project will be the largest mass timber build in San Diego's history, taking advantage of updated building codes that allow for the use of engineered wood in buildings up to 18 stories tall.

Why it matters

This project represents the largest educator workforce housing initiative in California history, as the district aims to house 10% of its employees by 2030 amid a severe housing crisis in the region. The high-density, transit-oriented development is seen as a potential model for other school districts across the country facing similar challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.

The details

The PROTEA/Malick proposal was selected over two other finalists after a month-long public review process. While the initial Affirmed proposal had all units restricted to those making 30-80% of area median income, the PROTEA/Malick plan promises to restrict rents to 30% of the actual income of district staff, rather than federal income bands. The development will also include ground-level retail and community amenities like a pool, as well as an infrastructure upgrade to the 'fork' intersection nearby.

  • The school board voted unanimously on the project on Monday, January 27, 2026.
  • Construction of the multi-block development is expected to be completed in 2031.

The players

PROTEA/Malick

The development team selected by the San Diego Unified School District to build the 1,500-unit educator housing project on the site of the district's current headquarters.

Cody Petterson

A trustee on the San Diego Unified School District's Board of Education who expressed initial concerns about the 11-story tower but was ultimately swayed by the project's location and the seriousness of the housing crisis.

Todd Gloria

The mayor of San Diego, whose representative spoke in favor of the PROTEA/Malick project during the board meeting.

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What they’re saying

“If you close your eyes and you're like, 'Where should we put our teachers? Where should we put our classified employees? Where should we put San Diegans in general, on a map? It would literally be right here. This is where we would put it.”

— Cody Petterson, Trustee, San Diego Unified School District

“There would need to be clear parameters about changes to the project.”

— Cody Petterson, Trustee, San Diego Unified School District

What’s next

As staff negotiate best-and-final term sheets with PROTEA/Malick, the school board has said it will include clear parameters about changes to the project, and warned that if there are unexpected delays, it would recirculate the Request For Proposals.

The takeaway

This ambitious project represents a bold step by San Diego Unified to address the severe housing crisis impacting teachers and staff, setting a potential model for other school districts across the country facing similar challenges. The use of mass timber construction and the focus on affordability for district employees underscores the district's commitment to innovative, sustainable, and community-driven solutions.