As Hamilton County Board of Education members acknowledged last week, there is a lot to consider before the school board gets into the landlord business.
But the idea of building 70 cottage-style rental houses around the district’s “Teacher’s Place” building on West 40th Street is intriguing, both for the potential of an affordable home on a teacher’s salary and for the chance to retain a teacher who might otherwise look for more lucrative employment.
Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise (CNE), a nonprofit housing development organization with a sound reputation in the community, would build and manage the units. That’s critical, we believe.
The district doesn’t need to be in the business of construction, leasing, eviction and upkeep, but it ought to be sure any agreement with CNE spells out the board’s expectations, parameters and obligations.