Tiny Homes for Teachers

Arizona ranks last in the nation for elementary school teacher salaries; one of its rural communities, Vail, is looking to counteract lower salaries by building affordable tiny homes for teachers.

John Carruth, the Vail school district’s associate superintendent and leader of the project, explains, “I’m often asked, are you doing this because it’s an affordable housing issue, or are you doing this because it’s a teacher pay issue? And the answer is 'yes,' to both of those things.” CityLab reports that finding affordable housing in the communities where they teach is a national problem for teachers. While other communities have implemented teacher- and staff-only housing, Vail is the first town to try tiny homes as a solution. Yet, Joe Thomas, president of the state’s largest teacher’s union the Arizona Education Association, counters, “A tiny home is not a solution out of dignity. It’s a solution out of convenience," adding, "Maybe if we can just move away from tiny school budgets.”

Vail is unusual: It’s comparatively pricey and a largely rural district near a metro area that has plenty of affordable housing—the average home price in Tucson, where most teachers end up living, is $180,200. Because Vail is unincorporated—it falls under the jurisdiction of Pima County—the school district is also one of the only unifying entities in the community. “Vail is very much its school district,” says Scharer. “You go to any Vail event, and the whole district is there. The community is the schools.” Without teachers living in town, the district—and community—suffers.

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