When Eric Gil was living with his uncle’s crowded household in Waterbury, Connecticut, the cost of rent—about $1,600 a month—was eating 40% of his income. After taking a job as an assistant preschool teacher at Friends Center for Children in New Haven, he faced an even higher rent burden and a long daily commute.
Friends Center, a nonprofit early‑learning program with four locations in New Haven, answered the need by launching a teacher‑housing initiative in 2020. The program covers the full cost of housing for select staff, allowing educators like Gil to move into a free home just minutes from their classrooms.
How the program works
The nonprofit employs 47 teachers, many of whom earn roughly $31,000 a year—well below a livable wage in Connecticut, where median rent is about $24,000 annually. After realizing salary increases were unaffordable without additional public funding or tuition hikes, CEO Allyx Schiavone redirected resources to eliminate the biggest expense for teachers: housing.
Friends Center purchased donated properties and partnered with the Yale School of Architecture, where graduate students design and construct a new home each year for educators. All homes are owned by the nonprofit, making it both landlord and employer.
Impact on teachers and families
Today, ten teachers live in free housing, with two more slated to move in this fall. The organization plans to double its housing inventory over the next three years and ultimately provide homes for 30% of its teaching staff by 2028.
Teachers report that free housing has transformed their lives. Single mother Paris Pierce, who moved into a donated single‑family home, now has extra room for her children, can afford extracurricular activities, and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree to become a lead teacher. Gil, who lives with a fellow teacher in a spacious home built by Yale students, says the arrangement has given him stability and the freedom to focus on his students.
Each resident meets monthly with a financial coach to set savings goals and improve credit scores, further strengthening their financial footing.
National interest and replication
The success of Friends Center’s model has attracted attention beyond Connecticut. Early‑care programs in Missouri, Michigan and Georgia are exploring similar housing solutions. Urban Sprouts, a nonprofit in St. Louis, visited New Haven in 2025 and launched its own pilot, providing free housing to two teachers.
Since 2020, more than 1,000 visitors have toured the New Haven initiative, taking ideas back to their own communities. Advocates argue that while the program does not directly raise teacher salaries, it addresses the most pressing cost—housing—thereby helping retain qualified educators and supporting families.
Looking ahead
Friends Center’s leadership remains confident that the housing inventory will continue to grow, offering a practical, faith‑aligned solution that upholds the dignity of families and strengthens neighborhoods. By removing the burden of rent, the nonprofit hopes to empower teachers to show up as their best selves, benefiting the children they serve and the broader community.
Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.
