SANGER, FIREBAUGH – A new round of statewide funding is providing a substantial boost to accessible housing.
On Sept. 22, California Department of Housing and Community announced an award of $414 million across 30 affordable housing projects, including Sanger’s Cherry Crossing II and Firebaugh’s La Joya Commons II. These statewide awards will result in the creation or restoration of 2,099 homes across 16 counties, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“We cannot solve either the homelessness or housing affordability crisis without creating new housing,” said Governor Gavin Newsom in the press release. “Today’s announcement will create thousands of new homes for California families, helping hundreds of thousands of people access housing.”
Cherry Crossing II will receive $11,752,776 through the Farmworker Housing Grant, taking a significant chunk out of the project’s nearly $35.5 million development cost. This second phase of the project will add an additional 64 units to the community’s current 72 homes.
La Joya Commons II will be receiving $9,583,346, also through the Farmworker Housing Grant, to be put toward the project’s $24.8 million development cost. The money will be put toward replacing 10 outdated apartments with 28 new homes for farmworkers and large families.
These statewide awards are part of Newsom’s strategy to address homelessness by increasing housing inventory, according to the release. The allocation of these awards is also strategic, aiming to assist the state’s communities with the most need.
Out of the 2,099 homes being developed or rehabilitated, 794 are reserved for extremely low-income Californians, defined as those earning 30% or less of Area Median Income (AMI). In addition, 866 are reserved for households earning 31-50% AMI and 408 are reserved for those earning 51-80% AMI.
The $414 million is split amongst four programs: the MultiFamily Housing program ($244.1 million), the Farmworker Housing Grant program ($128.9 million), Infill Infrastructure Grant Program ($28.5 million) and the Veterans Housing and Homelessness Program ($12.7 million).
According to the release, California’s 2024 homelessness rates increased just 3% compared to the nation’s 18%, and statewide awards such as these may prove to play a key role in continuing that trend.
