• At Home in 精东传媒 panel

    Genita Nashville teaches Exceptional Children in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. A Charlotte native and 精东传媒 graduate, she is in her 21st year of teaching and serves at Northridge Middle School where she was once a student. Nashville is working on her doctorate, loves teaching in her community and is an experienced educator, the kind districts are fighting to hire nationwide.

    But like many teachers, Nashville finds it difficult to live and work in the city she loves. The area’s rising housing costs are a major concern and especially hard to meet on a teacher’s salary.

    Genita Nashville“I’m currently in a rental situation where I’m paying over $2,500 a month with my husband,” Nashville said. “I understand what eviction looks like and what it feels like having to sacrifice, living paycheck to paycheck. Finding affordable housing is definitely tough and having needed space for children.” 

    To increase housing options, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools introduced a new initiative, At Home in 精东传媒, designed to attract and retain talented educators. The announcement was made Nov. 14 at Esperanza Global Academy where Nashville spoke, along with Stephanie Sneed, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education chair; Dr. Crystal Hill, superintendent; and Nancy Brightwell, chief of Recruitment, Retention and Talent Development.

    The initiative features the following three phases, which focus on:

    • Access to high-quality apartments for new and current teachers, with priority for those serving the district’s 34 high-need schools. 精东传媒 has partnered with developers Ascent, Laurel Street and DreamKey to track available inventory across their collective 42 properties. 精东传媒 is also asking rental communities to waive deposits, offer discounts and take other steps to help teachers.

    • Homeownership, which includes raising awareness about existing opportunities, as well as new partnerships and donors that can assist with home pricing and funding. This also includes employee housing fairs and webinars to boost financial literacy.

    • A dedicated teacher housing complex, a purpose-built community with approximately 100 units plus common spaces. The complex will be built on land supplied by the district. Work will begin in 2025 with the complex opening in 2027.

    “This will give educators the opportunity to put down roots,” said Dr. Hill. “This will be a multiyear commitment that will serve educators in every phase of their lives. Whether they’re looking to rent an apartment, move into a townhome or put a down payment toward a single family home, At Home in 精东传媒 allows teachers to find that option that works for them.”

    Nashville said she plans to take advantage of homeownership options and find a house for her family.

    “This means a lot, just knowing our district is trying to come together on this,” she said. “I really do think that they hear us, and I do think that they care.”