As the cost of living in Austin continues to balloon, teachers and educational support staff increasingly report struggling with finances. Teachers report having to moonlight at coffee shops, craft stores, and other night-time jobs just to make ends meet. Austin ISD employees report struggling with skyrocketing rents.
Megan Whalon, Education Austin Steward and French teacher spoke to local news station KEYE regarding the struggles teachers in AISD face.
A developer building in the Bull Creek neighborhood has taken these struggles into consideration in their designs for the project. They report that there will be affordably priced units specifically intended to house Austin ISD teachers and their families.
The offer of housing at a lower price point is welcome news for teachers like Ms. Whalon. “This is my 6th year teaching in Austin ISD, and I’ve moved almost every year to try and find cheaper rent because everywhere I live rent keeps going up and up every year.”
But she’s disappointed that teachers need housing assistance. She says, “Yeah. I think it’s a really cool idea. It’s a good thing that they want to try and help the teachers. But I think it’s sad they can’t pay us a salary that we can afford to buy a house because I don’t know if and when I’ll be able to buy a house on a teacher’s salary.”
#EdAustin #UnionProud
http://keyetv.com/…/west-austin-development-promises-afford…
