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The Sacramento City Council approved a $7.8 million loan to expand Central Sacramento Studios, a permanent supportive housing complex at H and 11th streets.The housing project opened in May, and city leaders said it filled up fast. It has 92 units occupied by people who, until they moved into Central Sacramento Studios, were experiencing homelessness. The building used to be a Best Western motel.The expansion will involve the developer of the project, Danco Communities, demolishing the former motel restaurant, Blue Prynt, right next door and constructing a five-story building that will have 52 units.Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area where the project is located, said the success of the first 92 units bodes well for the upcoming expansion.“Having additional housing be able to plug right into this now-established community, it’s really going to set it up for success in a lot of ways,” Valenzuela said. “We’re learning all the best practices, continuing to evolve, and this new project is the best, the cream of the crop, for what we’ve seen in District 4 in the last few years.”The units will be affordable to people earning 30% or less of the area’s median income, and Valenzuela said the rent residents will pay is proportionate to their income.City leaders said permanent supportive housing means that in addition to the apartment, residents will be provided with the resources and support services they need. Valenzuela added that having the housing complex at H and 11th streets is extremely beneficial to people who are just getting off the streets.“They’ll now be right next to a light rail station, right next to a really great service provider down the block at The Table, so there’s just, they’ll be coming into a community that’s really well-situated to provide them the stability they need, long-term,” Valenzuela said.Just over half of the $7.8 million loan for the expansion will come from the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which is made up of fees paid by commercial developers. The rest of the money mostly consists of matching funds from the state. The city said Danco Communities is also putting together other funding sources, including low-income tax credits.Valenzuela said creating more permanent supportive housing should be the priority for city officials as they continue tackling the homeless crisis. She said the one-time investments made to construct the projects are well worth it.“To me, this is what moving upstream on homelessness really looks like, it’s building more projects like the Central Sac Studios,” Valenzuela said.Homeless advocate Mark Merin, who runs the organization Safe Ground Sacramento, Inc., said he is happy to see more permanent supportive housing in the city.“That’s fantastic. I mean, obviously, we need housing,” Merin said.But Merin added that while those projects are being built, the city should also focus on other interim projects, such as creating more Safe Ground and safe parking sites.“What we need is more of that. We need places where they can get off the street, into something that is going to be comfortable,” Merin said. “And then transition into housing, and I think that’s perfect. That’s a way to make a big dent in it without much cost to the city.”Danco Communities could not immediately give KCRA 3 a timeline for when construction could begin on the new building at Central Sacramento Studios.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Sacramento City Council approved a $7.8 million loan to expand Central Sacramento Studios, a permanent supportive housing complex at H and 11th streets.
The housing project opened in May, and city leaders said it filled up fast. It has 92 units occupied by people who, until they moved into Central Sacramento Studios, were experiencing homelessness. The building used to be a Best Western motel.
The expansion will involve the developer of the project, Danco Communities, demolishing the former motel restaurant, Blue Prynt, right next door and constructing a five-story building that will have 52 units.
Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the area where the project is located, said the success of the first 92 units bodes well for the upcoming expansion.
“Having additional housing be able to plug right into this now-established community, it’s really going to set it up for success in a lot of ways,” Valenzuela said. “We’re learning all the best practices, continuing to evolve, and this new project is the best, the cream of the crop, for what we’ve seen in District 4 in the last few years.”
The units will be affordable to people earning 30% or less of the area’s median income, and Valenzuela said the rent residents will pay is proportionate to their income.
City leaders said permanent supportive housing means that in addition to the apartment, residents will be provided with the resources and support services they need. Valenzuela added that having the housing complex at H and 11th streets is extremely beneficial to people who are just getting off the streets.
“They’ll now be right next to a light rail station, right next to a really great service provider down the block at The Table, so there’s just, they’ll be coming into a community that’s really well-situated to provide them the stability they need, long-term,” Valenzuela said.
Just over half of the $7.8 million loan for the expansion will come from the city’s Housing Trust Fund, which is made up of fees paid by commercial developers. The rest of the money mostly consists of matching funds from the state. The city said Danco Communities is also putting together other funding sources, including low-income tax credits.
Valenzuela said creating more permanent supportive housing should be the priority for city officials as they continue tackling the homeless crisis. She said the one-time investments made to construct the projects are well worth it.
“To me, this is what moving upstream on homelessness really looks like, it’s building more projects like the Central Sac Studios,” Valenzuela said.
Homeless advocate Mark Merin, who runs the organization Safe Ground Sacramento, Inc., said he is happy to see more permanent supportive housing in the city.
“That’s fantastic. I mean, obviously, we need housing,” Merin said.
But Merin added that while those projects are being built, the city should also focus on other interim projects, such as creating more Safe Ground and safe parking sites.
“What we need is more of that. We need places where they can get off the street, into something that is going to be comfortable,” Merin said. “And then transition into housing, and I think that’s perfect. That’s a way to make a big dent in it without much cost to the city.”
Danco Communities could not immediately give KCRA 3 a timeline for when construction could begin on the new building at Central Sacramento Studios.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.
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