Downtown residents are critical to business creation and growth in our urban core. The Partnership supports policies that will keep project costs down, streamline processes that hinder high-density projects, and incentivize more development downtown.

Downtown Sacramento is well on its way to becoming a vibrant urban district. Over the past decade, more than $1 billion in public and private investments were made in downtown that has effectively transformed its landscape, and more are on the horizon.

Earlier this year, Mayor Kevin Johnson also announced his goal to build 10,000 new housing units in our downtown core over the next 10 years. This is a good sign when you hear time and time again, people today prefer living downtown close to work, rather than living in the suburbs and commuting.

Plans are well under way to capitalize on this trend, including transforming the old Crystal Ice Buildings into the Ice Blocks at 16^th and R Streets into a mixed-use project with nearly 150 residential units across two buildings to bringing more than 1,000 apartments and condos in the new Sacramento Commons at 7^th and N Streets and constructing a 200-unit affordable housing project known as Metro Crossing in the Railyards.

These are the types of projects that are rapidly changing the residential and office marketplace of downtown. And hopefully, they are just the beginning. When the Downtown Sacramento Partnership polled young people last year, nearly half indicated they would be interested in living in downtown Sacramento once the arena is built. Alternatively, a lack of housing options was cited as a top reason why survey respondents would not want to live downtown.

Simply put, we need more housing options for a broad cross-section of downtown residents made up of both renters and homeowners of all income levels.

To ensure an adequate supply for all, the Partnership supports policies that will remove some of the obstacles that have hindered the development of housing in downtown. Over the past month we’ve supported two key bills in the Assembly – AB 35 and AB 1335 – that after the loss of redevelopment will bring millions back to our cities to expand the development of affordable housing. Both advanced from Committee last week and are expected to pass Assembly floor votes by this Friday.

At the City level, the Partnership support updates to the City’s Mixed Income Housing Ordinance to establish policies that will encourage a level playing field to spur the development of more housing in Sacramento. The ordinance will have its first hearing in front of the Sacramento Planning & Design Commission before July.

For more information, contact Policy & Advocacy Manager Emilie Cameron.

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