Pockets on the Greens

Abstract

The goal of workforce housing is to help those middle income families who do not qualify for other forms of aid, but cannot financially afford to live in the city they work in. This issue is becoming increasingly urgent as many school districts are struggling to retain teachers due to lack of housing or lack of affordable housing. In recent years we have seen an increase in the cost of living state wide, but a truly affected area is Midland, TX. While the cost of living rises teachers salaries remain the same as their salaries are controlled through variables such as their years of experience, the location of their district, and the voting of their local governments. Midland, Texas is an oil town located in West Texas that has seen many booms and bust in the oil and gas industry. In the past five years they have seen exponential growth and a volatile housing market creating a lack of affordable housing in the area and often forcing families to move as they can no longer afford to live in the city limits. The focus of Pocket on the Greens is to propose a housing complex for the teachers and their families in MISD focusing on creating community living with the goal of creating retention.