As rents have soared, American Landmark Apartments, a Tampa, Florida-headquartered multifamily owner and operator, has partnered with nonprofit City Teaching Alliance to provide discounted rents for aspiring educators in the Dallas-Fort Worth market for over two years.
American Landmark, which has had a presence in the market for over two decades, offers rents at a 30% discount for participants in the nonprofit’s residency program for a one-year lease at 11 of its multi-family communities.
City Teaching Alliance’s mission is to improve educational and life outcomes of children in urban schools by preparing career teachers who accelerate student achievement and disrupt systems of racial and socioeconomic inequity. The program includes a 13-month residency, where they learn from classroom teachers, deliver one-on-one interventions to students, and lead lessons. After the residency, the novice educators are hired as full-time teachers in partner schools while they complete degree requirements and become certified in their content area.
“For our teachers, it really takes housing off the table as a concern as they are considering joining our program,” says Lauren Ammons, director of partnerships at City Teaching Alliance. “We recruit from all over the United States, so having a more narrowed scope of where they can find good quality housing at a place they can afford takes the stress off, allowing them to stay fully focused on becoming amazing career educators.” Ammons says currently 32 participants are residing in an American Landmark apartment.
“It’s not just about American Landmark’s involvement. It’s about teachers, period. We learn from our teachers,” says Rachel Palmer, chief administrative officer at American Landmark. “The fact that these teachers are reaching kids in Title I schools, let’s show our gratitude and make sure we don’t leave anyone behind. That is why we’re proud to be connected with City Teaching Alliance. We want to support their daily trek to create our tomorrow.”
Ammons notes that American Landmark has been a great partner. “They don’t just stop at offering this discount, but every spring they have rolled out the red carpet for the teachers to get to know Dallas and plant the seed of where they want to live.”
Palmer encourages others in the industry to consider partnerships such as these.
“In a world where rent and housing are a concern, why isn’t this part of more conversations? Why not invest in what is already built?” she asks. “This is a great way to give affordable housing to teachers.”
