Roseville in talks to sell two lots to developers to build housing

The city of Roseville is negotiating the sale of two vacant lots to developers for housing projects, part of an effort to expand housing amid the homelessness crisis.

For a property at Royer and Taylor streets, the city issued a request for proposals and is in talks with a developer about a potential affordable housing project, said Erin Dunlay, a city spokesperson. The city is also negotiating with a developer proposing market-rate housing downtown at South Grant and Oak streets, where a building was demolished in 2022. Both properties are vacant.

The city is not offering incentives for either project, Dunlay said. She declined to name the developers involved in the discussions.

“Everything is still in very early stages, so we do not have project specifics yet,” Dunlay said in an email. “We won’t be able to disclose the developers until we have agreements in place.”

Neither project may require City Council approval, Dunlay said.

If a project includes at least 20% of units as income-restricted affordable housing, the city can approve it administratively without a City Council vote, Dunlay said.

In addition to the two sites, the city has identified a third potential housing site at 251 Sunrise Ave. The city has not received applications for that property, Dunlay said.

The city published the list of sites in a document approved without discussion by the City Council on Wednesday.

The document, the 2025 Housing Element Progress Report, also included state-required data on housing construction since 2021.

While the city has met its planning goals, developers are responsible for construction, Dunlay said.

“Since the start of the current cycle in 2021, approximately 712 affordable housing units have been built in the city. There are another 1,000 lower income units currently in production,” Dunlay said. “The city averages about 140 affordable units developed per year.”

To qualify for one of the 712 affordable units, a single-person household must earn less than $72,050 annually, according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development income limits for the Sacramento region.

“Since the Affordable Housing Goal was instituted in 1989, about 5,167 units have been developed (in Roseville),” Dunlay said.