Elk Grove Leaders Attend Groundbreaking for Affordable Housing Project City Once Rejected Illegally
The Coral Blossom project on Elk Grove-Florin Road on the city's far northern border was originally planned for Old Town-Historic Downtown Elk Grove
With no sense of irony, today Elk Grove elected officials participated in a ceremonial groundbreaking for an affordable supportive housing project that it had originally, and according to the state of California, illegally blocked.
The Coral Blossom project on Elk Grove-Florin Road on the city's far northern border was originally planned for Old Town-Historic Downtown Elk Grove as the Oak Rose project. Bending to the demands of a handful of opponents, Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen and her city council denied that project in 2022.
After that, the project developer, Long Beach, Calif.-based Excelerate Housing, and the state of California filed suit against the city. The developer and California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the city had violated state fair housing laws and Proposition 36.
After it was determined that Elk Grove had illegally denied the Oak Rose project, the city paid over $10 million in settlement costs and is operating under a consent-like decree under which the state will audit projects to ensure the city is no longer deliberately violating fair housing laws. It also gave Excelerate the five-acre Elk Grove-Florin Road parcel as compensation.
Not surprisingly, residents in the neighborhood adjacent to the Coral Blossom project unsuccessfully fought the city to stop the development.
The facility will have 81 units, and on-site social services will be provided to clients. The facility is expected to open in early 2028.
