BRANDON, Fla. — As housing costs continue to climb, Hillsborough County Public Schools is exploring a unique way to help recruit and retain employees through workforce housing.

“We recognize Hillsborough County has become an area where the housing prices have risen, rent has skyrocketed, and we want to make sure our educators have a safe place to raise their families and still live in our Hillsborough community,” said Patti Rendon, Hillsborough County School Board member.

The site the district is considering is the property near the former McLane Middle School in Brandon. Right now, only a small portion of the school is being used for admin offices, and Rendon says it’s the perfect site for workforce housing.

“It meets a lot of the benchmarks. We’re really close to a transportation destination, we’ve got Publix around the corner, we have medical facilities all within walking distance of this location,” she said.

Rendon says those benchmarks are crucial to get the best grants. Rendon explained the process, saying the district will work with a vendor and lease this property to them. The vendor will seek federal, state and local grants to build the apartment community, and in turn, offer rent at a reduced rate to school employees.

“It’s going to be safe, it’s going to be clean, it’s going to refreshing and it’s also going to be a place they can raise their family and provide other opportunities as they move forward,” said Rendon.

Rendon says workforce housing won’t just benefit the school employees living in it— ultimately, it benefits the students of Hillsborough County by insuring all positions are filled with the best possible employees.

“We in Hillsborough County are looking outside the box. We recognize it’s a changing time and we want to make sure we’re utilizing our dollars to the best possible opportunity at the same time, giving our employees the best opportunity we can to improve their lives,” she said.

As the district searches for ways to attract and keep great teachers, this could help more educators put down roots in the community they serve.

Rendon says the district is working with vendors now. The goal is to provide 150 units to start, with the possibility of expanding if all goes well.