It can be difficult for teachers to live in or near the schools where they teach, especially in urban districts where housing prices are high. On Thursday, developer ReBuild Metro unveiled a new development in East Baltimore that addresses this issue. Builders, residents and community leaders celebrated the opening of Teachers Square in the Johnston Square neighborhood, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

“When you look at the economic situation as it relates to affordable housing, early career teachers struggle to make ends meet,” said Sean Closkey, president of ReBuild Metro. “Who better than folks who already work here and are invested in your child’s future?” he asked, adding that the development has been funded through a mix of city, state and private funds.

Located on the 600 block of Biddle Street, two blocks of blighted row houses have been transformed into affordable units where 15 international teachers are living onsite. They pay subsidized rents ranging from $650-$800 and enjoy their own fully furnished bedrooms and bathrooms while sharing a kitchen and a living room.

Eunice Ayieb, who moved in from Ghana in July, teaches English Language Development at a Baltimore City Public School. “It's a Ghanaian home now because everything inside here reflects our culture,” Ayieb said. “We speak the same language, we eat the same meals, and we do most things together. So we feel at home.”

While local residents can also rent the units, only teachers and school staff receive subsidies, said Arjun Hosakere, associate director of Real Estate Development at ReBuild Metro. The $8 million project is part of a neighborhood revitalization effort that will include a new Enoch Pratt Free Library branch and community park.Some blighted row homes have been demolished and will be turned into parking spaces for tenants of Teachers Square.

“We are glad they are putting roots down here,” said Regina Hammond, executive director of Rebuild Johnston Square, a neighborhood organization. The neighborhood once thriving fell into marginalization and disinvestment. As a homeowner for forty years she wants others to make a similar commitment. “I hope they say, 'You know what? I'm gonna raise my family here, I'm gonna buy here, and I’m going to be part of your neighborhood permanently.”