The Abridged version:
- Placer County supervisors last week approved funding for two new affordable housing developments in unincorporated parts of the county.
- If plans move forward, the county will add nearly 500 new affordable housing units, bringing it closer to its goal of building 1,300 “achievable” units by 2029.
- New development plans have received pushback from community members concerned about changes to density and strains on resources in rural areas.
As Placer County moves toward its ambitious housing supply goals, some local communities are pushing back.
The county board of supervisors voted in favor of funding two affordable housing developments last week, which would bring nearly 500 new units to the county amid rapid growth and steep housing demands. Some community members have fought against plans to build new housing, arguing that certain developments and large waves of new residents will hurt their communities.
A little over a year ago, the board approved its 2025-29 Housing Action Plan, which aims to create 1,300 new achievable housing units in Placer County’s unincorporated communities by mid-2029. If the two projects win competitive housing tax credits with the state, the county will be over halfway toward meeting the goal, said Placer County housing manager Nikki Streegan.
“This brings us to over 50% of our goal of that 1,300 mark, which is exciting, if these projects win tax credit rounds and pull building permits” Streegan said. “I just see a tremendous need for our communities to provide housing for everybody.”
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Supervisors unanimously approved $7.26 million in funding for Phase One of the Hope Way Apartments project, which would bring a three-story, 132-unit affordable development to the rural community of Penryn. They also voted 4 to 1 for a preliminary framework that would loan $8.9 million to Destination at Placer One, a 360-unit affordable complex to be located inside the growing community north of Roseville.
Placer County defines achievable housing as “homes that local workers and families can afford,” including all deed-restricted housing, units for low to moderate-income households, and smaller units that are “affordable by design.” Streegan said that this encompasses a diverse range of housing types and households, from very low-income earners to those making 120% of the county’s median income.
Aside from the two plans recently voted on, Placer County has invested in several other achievable housing developments since it adopted the Housing Action Plan, including the 168-unit Placer Creek Affordable Apartments, nearly three dozen accessible dwelling units inside the Mill Creek Subdivision in Dry Creek, and the affordable Parkside at Sabre City development in West Placer.
Community response
Community members opposed to the developments have raised concerns over increased density, a lack of fit with existing housing and a shortage of the resources needed to support a large influx of residents in rural areas.
Earlier this year, Hope Way developers settled a lawsuit filed by Placer Citizens for Neighborhood Rights, a Penryn-based community group, agreeing to reduce the initial number of units from 240 to 132. Developers also agreed to hold off on plans to build more units for at least four years.
“The rural Penryn community is not the place to put this huge three-story complex,” Brian Myers, PCNR’s chairman, said. “That exceeds the capacity of our roads, our schools, the fire district, everything.”
Prior to the settlement, Supervisor Shanti Landon voted in January against providing county funds for Hope Way. She said that she voted in favor of the project last week due to the reduced number of units and smaller impact on Penryn, but she isn’t yet sure whether she’d vote for a second phase.
“Having affordable housing that’s near infrastructure, libraries, schools, grocery stores, transit, all of those things set it up for success,” Landon told Abridged by PBS KVIE. “To me, the smaller communities of Newcastle, Penryn, Loomis, those types of communities — they should bear some of the burden, but they need to be appropriate for the size of those towns.”
Future goals
Plans and considerations for other new achievable housing developments are also underway. As a “Prohousing” county designated by California’s housing and community development department, Placer County has identified several parcels of land deemed suitable for future high-density housing.
Streegan said that the county is currently in talks to prepare a site at the Placer County Government Center for a smaller-scale development in North Auburn. She added that work is being done to ready a proposal for another development in Tahoe City, which would serve a mixed range of household incomes.
In accordance with county rules, developers must include at least 10% affordable housing with all new residential builds in unincorporated areas, though in certain cases they may pay fees in lieu of including affordable units.
County funds for Hope Way Apartments will come from in lieu fees from a different development project, but a potential source of money for Destination at Placer One has yet to be identified.
Supervisor Suzanne Jones, a supporter of affordable housing development, voted last week against the preliminary Destination at Placer One loan agreement. She said that she favors the project but is waiting for a funding source to be identified.
“If we don’t find a funding source, it’s going to have to come out of our general fund, and we’ve never loaned money for affordable housing builders out of our general fund,” Jones said. “So we’re working on that.”
Though plans for Hope Way and Destination at Placer One moved forward last week, they must still clear other hurdles, including competing for state tax credits.
