Housing for Renton, Kent educators just became more accessible

Doug Baldwin helps district partner with Landed

By Haley Ausbun • June 2, 2019 5:30 pm

Seattle Seahawks player Doug Baldwin, in yet another effort to support Renton, is partnering with Renton School District to help teachers buy homes in the city.

Baldwin helped the school district partner with Landed, a program that assists with down payments and offers homebuyer education, according to a Landed and Renton School District press release.

The Seahawks star heard about the program being done in the Seattle area, and went to Landed saying Renton educators would find it useful. Landed Director of Partnerships Ian Magruder said Baldwin came to them and that he’s seen Baldwin’s commitment to helping Renton, such as creating the Family First Community Center.

“Teachers play a crucial role in a child’s development and some of those teachers are looking for solutions to the rising cost of housing in the Seattle area. This program will offer Renton teachers and staff an opportunity to afford homes in the communities they serve,” Baldwin states in the press release.

Landed was founded in 2015 and offers this program for educators in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Denver and now Kent and Renton. Magruder said in the last year being in Seattle they’ve helped almost a dozen educators buy homes.

Co-founder of Landed Alex Lofton grew up in Bellevue School District, where their mother was a teacher.

“With Seattle’s housing boom continuing to drive up costs in Renton, Landed is committed to helping district teachers and staff put down roots in their communities and classrooms,” Lofton states in the press release.

This program will be available to all Renton School District faculty, administrators and staff who have worked as educators for over two years in any district, and commit to staying at Renton for the next two years.

Landed will provide half of a down payment for the educator’s home, with rewards up to $120,000.

There are no monthly payments to Landed, but if your home goes up in value, they get a portion of the sale price when you sell the home.

“As the cost of housing in the Renton area continues to rise, too many of our educators are finding it harder to afford homes in the area,” Superintendent Damien Pattenaude states in press release. “We believe Landed will be a valuable solution to help improve school recruitment and retention by providing educators with a new option to help make homeownership more accessible.”

Interested Renton and Kent educators can attend an informational session 4 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. June 4 at Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center, or apply immediately at Landed.com.