The Reality of Using unused SFUSD property
Regarding “S.F. public schools have underused land. Why aren’t we building homes on it?” (Open Forum, SFChronicle.com, Jan. 15): Rohan Birla’s suggestion to build housing on San Francisco Unified School District land raises important questions, but it comes from a position of privilege that doesn’t fully center voices from the district or people facing housing instability.
Birla attends a private school and describes having the option to between public and private education. For many school district students, there is no choice.
I am a senior at Mission High School, a predominantly Black and Latino school that is severely underfunded. We are not just reading about budget crises; we live them.
With its struggles, it’s difficult to imagine how the district could responsibly manage housing development.
Putting housing on school property also raises concerns about dignity, privacy and safety. Would teachers want to live at their workplace? Would students and families feel comfortable having their housing status publicly tied to their school?
Historically, housing and schools have been tools of segregation. Concentrating low-income families into school-based housing risks reinforcing racial and economic separation rather than addressing inequality.
People deserve stable housing in communities where they feel safe and respected, not placed somewhere simply because it is the only option offered.
Creative solutions must be shaped by those most affected.
Michaela Vatcheva/Special to the S.F. Chronicle
Letters: Housing on unused S.F. school district property sounds great. Here’s the reality
By Daniella Contreras | January 18th, 2026 | SF Chronicle
