30-04-2025
Elk Grove moves forward with affordable housing project
( — The Elk Grove City Council has unanimously approved a $3.5 million loan to support phase one of a new 240-unit affordable housing project. The project will allot a portion of the rentable units to adults with disabilities. The Sheldon Farms North Affordable Housing Project is being developed by Abode Communities, a non-profit affordable housing provider.
Sarah Bontrager, Housing and Public Service Manager for the City of Elk Grove, says, 'There are a lot of folks in our community that struggle to afford housing.' She says that Phase 1 of Sheldon Farms North, near the corner of Bruceville and Sheldon roads, will cost about $1.3 million on just the land. Due to the size of the project, they will need to break it up into phases to get it financed.
Affordable housing has proven to be in extremely high demand in Elk Grove, with a massive response from the community toward two previous affordable housing projects, The Lyla and Mosa Apartments. Bontrager says, 'The Lyla and Mosa projects, about 700 units between those two, and we received 13,000 lottery applications for those, so there's a huge amount of demand for affordable housing in the city.'
This also follows a lawsuit in 2023 brought forth by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom against the city, claiming the city unlawfully denied a proposed 66-unit supportive housing project for lower-income households.
The Sheldon Farms North Development comes at a time when housing expenses continue to skyrocket. And Bontrager adds, 'Our median home price for 'For Sale' homes in Elk Grove is now up above $640,000. Apartments are also high, a two-bedroom apartment market rate rent is about $2,300 per month.'
This project is breaking new ground inclusively for Elk Grove residents. Bontrager says they are setting aside 25% of the units for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, which would be a first for the Affordable Housing in Elk Grove. She says that folks with intellectual or developmental disabilities are in adulthood now, still being cared for by family or living at home with family. A lot of aging parents are worried about what will happen to their adult child when they are no longer able to take care of them.
The city is looking for a heightened level of design to spark community connection. Bontrager says a lot of community amenities are being planned in the project, such as a splash pad on site and two playgrounds.
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