A 110-unit teacher housing project is on its way to Grant Avenue in Palo Alto after the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved it on Tuesday.

Supervisor Joe Simitian initially proposed the project in 2018 in an effort to provide school teachers and staff with housing in the communities they work in.

The project will provide affordable housing for teachers and faculty in 12 school districts in Santa Clara County and southern San Mateo County. Construction begins in fall 2022, with an estimated completion in fall 2024.

Simitian said as a former school board member and the son of a school teacher, he knows this project could greatly impact the lives of teachers for the better while benefitting schools and students.

"No one wins when local teachers have to commute from miles and miles away. It's just that much harder to attract and retain the best teachers available," Simitian said in a statement. "Time in the car is time not spent with students or preparing lesson plans. And our teachers become more and more remote from the communities where they teach. By having teachers work and live nearby, we're strengthening their role in the community."

The project already has a reserved $3 million from the Palo Alto City Council and $25 million in grant funding from Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook.

More information on the 231 Grant Educator Workforce Housing project can be found at sccgov.org/231grant.