As the undisputed leader in supporting education workforce housing, CSBA advocates for policy and legislation that facilitates the exploration, planning, development, and occupancy of housing for teachers and school staff.
Current proposed legislation (2025-2026 session)
AB 1381: Predevelopment Budget Proposal
AB 1381 would establish a revolving loan account in the Office of the California State Treasurer to provide no-interest loans to local educational agencies to pay for predevelopment work (feasibility studies, entitlements, etc.) for education workforce housing projects. (Click here for bill status)
California law related to education workforce housing
SB 1413: Teacher Housing Act of 2016 (Chapter 732, Statutes of 2016)
California’s Teacher Housing Act of 2016 (SB 1413) gave school districts the clear legal authority to build housing for their employees on district-owned land (provided rents are restricted to levels affordable to households at or below 120% AMI) and to restrict occupancy to or prioritize district employees when leasing the units, even if the housing uses public funds or is income-restricted. This legal clarity opened the door for districts to access public funding like tax credits as well as partnerships with housing authorities.
AB 1157: Property Disposition and Tax Exemption (Chapter 717, Statutes of 2017)
This law made it easier for districts to develop housing on their property by:
- Removing the requirement to appoint an advisory committee (commonly called a “7-11 Committee”) before leasing or selling surplus property for staff housing
- Allowing school districts to use proceeds from property sales to construct educator housing
- Clarifying that district-owned land leased or developed for educator housing is exempt from property taxes
AB 2295: Accelerated timelines for development approvals (Chapter 652, Statutes of 2022)
AB 2295 went into effect on January 1, 2024. This bill was designed to address recommendations from the landmark 2022 research report on education workforce housing in California published by CSBA’s research partners cityLAB of UCLA and Center for Cities and Schools of UC Berkeley.
AB 2295 states that proposed employee housing projects that meet certain conditions do not have to request zoning changes. Local governments must approve these projects by right provided they meet objective design and site development standards. Further, LEAs don’t need to declare land “surplus” under the Surplus Land Act before using it for housing.
AB 1021: Improving Access to Educational Workforce Housing (Chapter 502, Statutes of 2025)
AB 1021 goes into effect on January 1, 2026. CSBA co-sponsored this bill along with research partner cityLAB of UCLA and TRiO Plus, a group focused on housing affordability for educators.
AB 1021 makes it easier for local educational agencies (LEAs) to facilitate housing for their workforce on LEA property through the following mechanisms:
- Revises low- and moderate- income stratifications to encompass all staff
- Increases potential height limits
- Removes constraints around what needs to be around the development (e.g., existing residential, density bonus)
- Increases flexibility for small and rural LEAs
- Allows some CEQA exemptions
Questions? Email EdWorkforceHousing@csba.org
CSBA is grateful for the support and guidance of its partners in developing these resources: