Looking for affordable housing? These developments are being built in the Sacramento region

The Sacramento region is building hundreds of units of affordable housing, from large apartment complexes in Rocklin to new communities on aging commercial corridors in south Sacramento.

A recent study by CoStar Analytics found nearly 1,000 affordable or rent-controlled units are under construction in Sacramento, the highest number since at least 2015. Still, those units make up just a fraction of the more than 5,000 total homes being constructed, CoStar’s Will Austin said.

A regional housing needs assessment approved by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments found the region should build more than 62,000 units of housing for very low- and low-income earners this decade.

These major projects are in the planning stages, under construction or recently opened in the region.

Housing in Rocklin

Two large affordable housing developments are in the works in Rocklin.

The City Council last year approved plans for Quarry Place, a new development that will replace the former K-Mart at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Pacific Street. St. Anton Communities is developing the 15.4-acre site into “180 income-restricted workforce housing apartments, 40 single-family homes, and two commercial structures,” city officials said in a news release.

The rental housing is targeted toward very low- and low-income earners and the single-family homes will be marketed to entry-level buyers.

“These are recent college graduates, young teachers, and even entry level firefighters that will be able to comfortably afford a quality home in Rocklin thanks to this project,” city officials said.

On the other side of Rocklin, USA Properties has started construction on a 288-unit affordable housing complex between University Avenue and Wildcat Boulevard, near Whitney High School.

The apartment buildings will have one-, two- and three-bedroom units reserved for residents who earn between 30% and 70% of the Placer County median income. That comes out to about $21,750 to $50,750 for two-person households, according to a news release.

Buy or rent in south Sacramento

Mutual Housing and Habitat for Humanity broke ground earlier this year on a project near Nicholas Park in south Sacramento called Cornerstone.

The development will have 108 affordable rental units and 18 single-family homes for sale, providing “over 400 low-income individuals with affordable housing,” Mutual Housing and Habitat for Humanity announced in March. The development will be all-electric and have electric vehicle charging. To qualify for the rental units, residents will need to make between 30% and 60% of the area median income, or between $30,000 and $60,000 per year.

The apartment buildings will have private patios and a community garden. The homes for sale will be a mix of three- and four-bedroom houses with private backyards.

The project should be completed in about two years, said Mutual Housing CEO Roberto Jiménez.

Poppy Grove in Elk Grove

Elk Grove leaders recently took some heat from housing advocates for denying a proposed affordable housing project in Old Town. However, the City Council in May approved what will likely be Elk Grove’s largest affordable apartment complex.

The 387-unit Poppy Grove Apartments will be built at Bruceville and Poppy Ridge roads, a few blocks south of Whitelock Parkway.

Apartments will be available for those making 80% or less of the area median income; the median household income in Elk Grove is around $101,000 a year. The complex will have a swimming pool, playgrounds and other community gathering places, according to a City Council report.

Affordable housing on Stockton Boulevard

Two major developments will bring much-needed housing to Stockton Boulevard, a vibrant but economically-challenged commercial corridor of south Sacramento.

Mutual Housing was chosen by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency to develop a large affordable housing community on the site of the former San Juan Motel, just south of Fruitridge Road. The land has been vacant for years and had been the site of a large homeless encampment.

The community will have 150 units split among several buildings, along with a child care center and commercial space that will likely be used by a nonprofit organization “that provides added services and benefit to the community,” Jiménez said.

A few blocks north, prominent affordable housing developer Mercy Housing California is planning its largest residential project in the region.

Construction began this summer on 200 units of affordable housing at 4995 Stockton Blvd., an 8-acre empty lot that borders the West Campus High School soccer and football field. Residents of the development will earn between 30% and 70% of the area median income of around $102,000 per year.

The community will have a play area for children and after-school programs. There will be plenty of space for larger families; more than 150 units will be either two- or three-bedroom apartments.

“If we don’t address housing, if we don’t address that issue, we’re not going to meet the needs of our city and we’re not going to change the dynamics of making sure our businesses stay afloat,” Sacramento City Councilman Eric Guerra said at a ceremonial groundbreaking for the project.

Senior housing in downtown Sacramento

Sacramento city leaders recently broke ground on the Wong Center Senior Apartments at Seventh and F streets in the downtown Railyards.

The building will have 150 units for low-income seniors and is one of the first major projects to be built in the redeveloped Railyards, a 240-acre site on the northern edge of downtown.

“This won’t solve everything, but 150 units for vulnerable seniors, for low-income seniors is something we ought to be very proud of and something that we ought to recommit to doing over and over and over again,” Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said. “It meets a tremendous need.”

The Wong Center will have 135 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom apartments. Residents 55 and older who earn between 40% and 60% of the Sacramento County median income are eligible for residency. The project is expected to be finished in early 2024.

Affordable apartments near Sac State

San Diego-based Community HousingWorks has proposed building a 75-unit affordable housing building at 6779 Q St., a plot of land adjacent to the University/65th Street light rail and bus station and a short walk from the California State University, Sacramento campus.

“This neighborhood has really been blossoming with retail and residential,” said Mary Jane Jagodzinski, a senior vice president with Community HousingWorks. “It’s a great hub with proximity to transit, which we feel is very important.”

Tenants of the new building will likely earn between $30,000 and $60,000, “depending on the family size,” Jagodzinski said. Rents will vary depending on income; one-bedroom units would start at around $500 per month and three-bedroom apartments would rent for up to $1,480.

Construction will likely not start until next year at the earliest, Jagodzinski said.

State property turned to housing

The state of California has begun granting surplus property to affordable housing developers. Two major projects are being built on land in downtown Sacramento.

Mutual Housing has proposed tearing down a vacant warehouse at 805 R St. to construct a large affordable apartment building that will be marketed to artists. The five-story building will likely have between 200 and 240 units, Jiménez said.

A few blocks away, construction is well underway on a five-story affordable apartment building at 1322 O St. The building should be finished this winter, according to the Capitol Area Development Authority, which is developing the project with CFY Development.

The 58 “micro-units” in the building will be smaller than 300 square feet. Rents will range from $710 for those earning less than $28,400 to $1,065 for tenants who make up to $42,600 per year.

Housing in the Sierra foothills

Demand for affordable housing extends into the rural areas and small towns of the Sacramento region. The unincorporated areas of Placer and El Dorado counties have a shortfall of more than 5,000 units for very low- and low-income earners.

Mercy Housing and Placer County opened a 79-unit affordable housing and townhome community earlier this year at the county government center in Auburn. The development has three three-story apartment buildings and seven two-story townhomes available for those making between 30% and 60% of the area median income, or roughly between $30,000 and $60,000.

Placerville needs to build 90 units of affordable housing this decade, and a plan to convert a former state armory in the foothill city will nearly meet that goal.

The city plans to demolish the Placerville Armory on Armory Road, just north of the Placerville Drive exit of Highway 50. The new building would have “83 affordable residential units for low- and moderate-income individuals and families, which includes 34 one-bedroom units, 27 two-bedroom units, and 22 three-bedroom units,” according to a Placerville Planning Commission report in May.

The state of California owns the site. The project’s developer is Jamboree Housing.

This story was originally published August 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM.