In 2021, I bought a home in Pasadena on my teacher’s salary. Not long after, I applied for a teaching job with Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). Although I was offered a position, I declined it because the salary was significantly lower than what other districts offered. A job with PUSD wouldn’t have allowed me to meet my new mortgage payments.

After reviewing Pasadena Measure R, I’m convinced it will not help teachers like me move closer to homeownership—quite the opposite, actually.

Measure R aims to raise $900 million through property tax increases on residents. Those of us who bought homes recently or experienced property reassessments could see property tax hikes of $500 or more each year for the next two decades.

The ballot language claims Measure R will “expand classrooms for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math; upgrade Career Education labs; replace leaky roofs; and repair deteriorating electrical, plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning systems.” But a closer inspection of the proposed projects reveals something surprising: PUSD plans to build “below-market rental housing” to retain and hire qualified teachers and staff. This is a major detail to omit from the ballot language.

Let’s be clear: PUSD plans to enter the landlord business, renting units to its underpaid employees, all at a cost of nearly $1 billion to the residents of Pasadena.

At a recent school board meeting, they discussed plans to build a 115-unit apartment complex on the Roosevelt Elementary campus—one of three schools PUSD closed in 2019, despite widespread community protests.

Half of these units would be classified as “affordable housing,” with rents set below market rates. To qualify for this housing, employees would have to earn less than the “low-income” threshold for Los Angeles County, which is $77,700.

PUSD already pays many of its employees less than the “low-income” level. Over 250 non-teaching staff members earn $40,000 or less, and first-year teacher salaries are under $65,000. It can take between 3 to 14 years for teachers to surpass this low-income threshold.

What happens when a PUSD employee earns too much to qualify for affordable housing? What if they find a better-paying job with another district? What if they want to live with a partner whose income pushes them over the limit? Will they be charged market rent for a unit previously classified as “affordable?” Will they have to move, or be asked to leave? Could this be considered an eviction or relocation issue under Pasadena’s rent control policy, Measure H?

The fact that PUSD is even considering housing initiatives demonstrates that they are capable of more ambitious solutions for their employees. Instead of keeping workers stuck in low-income conditions, they could raise salaries above the median, offer student loan repayment assistance, or sell housing units like condos and townhomes to employees.

Instead, PUSD’s plan will keep its low-income employees as long-term renters. Measure R will make an already vulnerable workforce more dependent on their employer-landlord, which is unacceptable.

Don’t be fooled: many politicians backing Measure R don’t want to appear against school funding or affordable housing, but they haven’t thought through the broader impact this measure will have on teachers and residents. We should be helping school employees afford homes in the communities they serve—not consigning them to renting from their employer on a low-income salary.

Take it from a teacher: Vote NO on Measure R.

Daniel Gonzalez has 17 years of teaching experience, and lives in Pasadena.