Ground Broken for Santa Cruz City Schools’ 100-Unit Educator Housing Project

Ground was recently broken on Santa Cruz City Schools’ first Educator Housing Community at 313 Swift St. Bogard Construction is partnering with the district to build the 100-unit development, which will provide below-market-rate housing for teachers and staff. The project marks a major step toward addressing educator workforce housing in Santa Cruz County as school districts across California seek practical solutions to recruitment and retention in high-cost regions.

Using an Alternative Design-Build approach, the project team came together early to align the budget, constructability, site planning and program goals. That collaboration allowed Bogard, working with architects EHDD and Studio VARA during preconstruction, to optimize the four-acre, district-owned site and expand the project from an original 80-unit concept to 100 units while remaining aligned with district priorities and available funding.

The roughly 120,000-square-foot community includes studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, along with site improvements and renovations to two existing buildings on the property. Architecturally, the building is organized into smaller “neighborhoods” across three distinct masses connected by elevated bridges and exterior walkways. This design achieves a “housing-in-the-park” feel, combining relatively dense massing with a fabric of lush, human-scale outdoor spaces oriented to capture natural light and coastal views.

Construction is scheduled for completion in 2028.