First Sacramento project planned for low-income LGBTQ community members

lavender court
Lavender Court rendering by Mogavera Architects

The Sacramento region’s first apartment project aimed at housing low-income members of the LGBTQ community has final funding and is expected to begin construction in October, the Sacramento Bee reports.

The project, which is expected to open in early 2022, is financed from a private bank loan, private foundation funds and several pots of government housing grants. These include $10.7 million in state and federal low-income housing tax credits and a tax-exempt bond, $11.3 million in Multifamily Housing Program funds under Proposition 1 from the state Department of Housing and Community Development, and $1.9 million in city of Sacramento housing funds, the newspaper reports.

Lavender Courtyard in midtown will include 49 one-bedroom and four two-bedroom apartments. The project is intended to create safe living for people at least 62 years old, who have been under financial stress.

Nearly half the units, 24 of the 53, will be reserved for people who will be moving in from living on the streets or living in homeless shelters. That includes members of the LGBTQ community, but also residents who are not gay.

The project will be built by Mutual Housing California, a private company that focuses on subsidized, low-income housing.

“At Lavender Courtyard, we will include a wide range of resident services and activities that will bolster the LGBT culture to ensure that for the people who live at Lavender, getting older will not mean getting forgotten and abused,” Mutual Housing CEO Roberto Jimenez said in a statement.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said he’s pleased state and local officials are allowing construction projects to continue as “essential” services during the coronavirus crisis.

“We will need affordable housing more than ever because of the economic stress caused by COVID-19,” Steinberg told The Bee. “I applaud the governor for allowing construction on critical projects like these to continue. This project is particularly welcome as the first one specifically targeted for LGBTQ seniors.”

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