A vicinity site map shows where Evergreen Apartments, a four-story, 38-unit affordable housing project will be located. Photo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Affordable housing here appears lush with the addition of Evergreen Apartments.

Economic and Development Housing Assistant Community Investment Planner Tanya Flores took the floor at the July 17 council meeting to detail the new affordable housing development approved by City Council.

Councilmember Quirina Orozco said she had an opportunity to drive by the development before the meeting, noting its location by the Westside Village Apartments.

“It looks like a lot that is overgrown with weeds, a little bit blighted,” Orozco said, asking for more details about the project and 0.89 acres of undeveloped land. "Tell me a little bit more about this project so that people in the community would understand what is being proposed here."

According to Flores, the four-story apartment complex features 38 units, ranging from 438 to 755 square feet, and offers a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom accommodations.

Additionally, infrastructure along Pine Street and Evergreen Avenue will be remedied with street corner improvements, according to a staff report, noting "new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks, accompanied by generously landscaped front yard setbacks that will beautify the neighborhood's streetscape but also contribute to the overall livability of the area."

Speaking of the “overall” perspective, Orozco questioned the project’s timing, which would begin construction in 2025 and take at least a year to complete.

"We would look forward to any investment in that area, so when I saw this, I immediately tabbed it in the timeline and saw what the renderings would look like and what it can bring to a traditionally neglected area," Orozco said.

The new affordable housing project supports the “Grand Gateway Development” and the “Homelessness & Communitywide Impact Management.” Because it is a market-rate development, Housing manager Raul Huerta explained, residents will pay an in-lieu fee that supports the affordable housing component of the Grand Gateway Master Plan.

Councilmember Verna Sulpizio-Hull said she is excited to bring another affordable housing project to the city, and Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early wanted to know more about the costs.

The maximum prices for the complex are $1,200 for a studio, $1,600 for one bedroom and more than $2,000 for two or more bedrooms, depending on the units’ size.

Mayor Martha Guererro wanted to know more.

"Did the reduction of our impact fees reach this location to benefit lowering the cost of building?” she asked.

City Manager Aaron Laurel confirmed the same, saying the fees apply to any infill project in that part of town.

"Reduction does eventually pass on to those who dwell in it," Guererro said, before accepting a motion to approve the project.