New senior housing community opens in downtown Sacramento
Sacramento (Oct. 22, 2024) - Sacramento City, County, and State officials recently celebrated the grand opening of the Wong Center , a new affordable senior housing community located in the historic Railyards area of downtown Sacramento.
“This incredible project was a testament to the power of collaboration, bringing together Mutual Housing California, Wong Center Board of Directors, and our City’s commitment to increasing affordable living opportunities for our beloved seniors,” said Mayor Darrell Steinberg.
The City of Sacramento, through the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency, contributed $3.5 million in loans for the project from the City’s General Fund and Measure U funds. The State of California provided $25 million through the Low-Income Housing Tax Credits program and $27 million in tax-exempt bonds.
Additional funding came from the Wong Center Board of Directors, a Sacramento-based foundation, which contributed $12.8 million, along with a land donation valued at $4 million and $2.2 million from Downtown Railyard Ventures. The project, developed by Mutual Housing California, was completed on schedule and under budget.
“I was honored to attend and give remarks at the grand opening of the Wong Center,” said Councilmember Katie Valenzuela, who represents the district. “This affordable housing project will provide permanent housing to seniors in our communities and is an incredible new addition to our Downtown and Railyards communities. The Wong Center wouldn’t have been possible without the generous support of many partners, including the incredible Wong Family who provided critical funding to make the project happen. Many thanks to Mutual Housing, SHRA, and the City teams who worked so hard to make this project a reality.”
The Wong Center, developed by Mutual Housing California, features 150 housing units, each with a kitchen and bathroom. It offers 135 one-bedroom units and 15 two-bedroom units, serving seniors aged 55 and older with low to very low incomes, earning 40 to 60 percent of Sacramento County’s area median income.
The development also offers a range of amenities, including EV charging stations, bicycle parking, wheelchair access, communal spaces, laundry facilities, a community garden, bocce ball courts, and a dog park.
On-site resident services and community-building programs include case management, financial education, senior health and wellness initiatives, housing stability support and leadership development.
To further enhance the community experience, Mutual Housing, in partnership with the City Office of Arts & Culture, is seeking artists or artist teams to collaborate with Wong Center residents on two large-scale public art projects. One will be for an indoor space, and the other for an outdoor area, both aimed at reflecting the cultural and historical stories of the community. The deadline for submissions is November 1. More information and application details are available here.
Although the community is fully leased, the Wong Center is accepting waiting list applications for all apartments sizes and will offer units to new tenants as they become available. Applications are available online here.
