Florida teachers getting housing subsidy

Helen Eldridge never thought she’d be able to afford a house—at least not in Palm Beach County, Florida. Like many beginning educators, the Highland Elementary teacher makes less than $40,000, not enough money to save for a down payment on a house. But Eldridge soon will move into a new one-bedroom condo minutes from the beach with a mortgage that is several hundred dollars less than her current rent.

That’s because of a new program that provides teachers and other middle-income workers with reduced-price homes in the MerryPlace development. Eldridge also is getting $10,000 for a down payment from the Palm Beach County School District because she teaches at a low-income school and has promised to stay there for five years. Read more about the program in The Palm Beach Post online.