The Hays Consolidated Independent School District school board approved a partnership with developer Upward Communities to build single-family homes that district employees could live in and rent at a discounted rate.
“ This is at least another way that we can help out our employees, another benefit, just like we offer dental [insurance],” Superintendent Eric Wright said.
The lease agreement with Upward Communities was unanimously approved Monday and is the district’s latest effort to recruit and retain staff as Hays CISD is expected to double its student population in the next decade.
“Housing affordability is a conversation that people are having across the country,” said Christina Courson, chief human resources officer with Hays CISD. “In our community, it is not unusual to hear some of our staff talk about their adult children either moving back in with them to save money or continuing to live with them.”
As the district addresses county growth, they’ll have to recruit from other areas to keep up, Courson said. She said she believes this initiative may also help fill vacancies that are difficult to hire, like special education teachers. A certain number of houses could be set aside and included in their benefits packages, she said.
“Having that housing option would be a wonderful way to recruit somebody here instead of them going elsewhere,” she said.
What’s in the plan?
The program will include 300 homes offered below market rate to Hays CISD employees. Courson said the community will likely be within the district’s boundaries and only a short commute to campuses.
Jason Roberts, chairman and founder of Upward Communities, said some units could be available as soon as the 2025-2026 school year and he’s planning for all 300 homes to be built in time for the 2026-2027 school year.
Upward Communities is set to build and manage the properties and will respond to maintenance requests. Under the agreement, Hays CISD would be considered the tenant and staff members would be subtenants.
“ [Staff] being able to move into these beautiful, newly constructed homes in a community that's going to have wonderful amenities, they're able to improve the quality of life and stretch their dollars,” Courson said.
Current and future staff will be eligible for the new housing. Rent will be determined on a sliding scale based on their salaries, with those making less receiving a larger discount.
The proposed community would include amenities, like childcare facilities, according to Roberts.
“ Housing should be a benefit for somebody who's essential staff... they're just not getting paid enough money,” he said. "If I can't increase their income, I should try to save them as much of their income as they currently make."
The plan, according to Roberts, is to lease the properties to Hays CISD for about 30 to 40 years. There’s also the possibility of extending that agreement to 60 years, with the ability to donate the houses to the district once the lease is up.
“ Our wishes are that the district gets use of these houses forever,” Roberts said. “So that way they can have retirement programs for the teachers and for staff.”
What will it cost?
The district ended the 2024-2025 school year with a $6.2 million deficit, and board members said they want to increase teacher pay as soon as possible. Until then, Wright said, launching this housing affordability project could help with some financial strain staff members are facing, and all of it is at no cost to the district.
”We are not using a single penny out of the maintenance and operation budget for this project, we are not getting into our bonded indebtedness and we're not using any of our bond capacity to get into this business,” Wright said. “We are simply offering this as a benefit.”
Roberts said Upward Communities will front the cost of the project, which he said will likely total $100 million.
Roberts said his company can afford the development through a combination of low interest rates, donations and their own contributions. He said he’s already been getting approached by other districts to replicate this plan.
