Citrus Heights council to consider $500k grant for housing at-risk, homeless seniors

By Sara Beth Williams–
After facing a first-round of scrutiny earlier this month, the Citrus Heights City Council will hold followup consideration of a request for grant funding from a nonprofit seeking to provide supportive housing to seniors who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.

Hope Cooperative is requesting $500,000, which would go toward the purchase and redevelopment of the Auburn Oaks senior living apartment complex, located at 7501 Sunrise Blvd. The nonprofit organization provides behavioral health and supportive housing services and is seeking to redevelop the existing low-income senior living facility into an 88-unit permanent supportive senior housing complex.

At an Aug. 14 council meeting, several council members expressed concerns regarding the project and requested that the nonprofit return on Aug. 28 with more information regarding the council’s concerns.

According to city staff, the existing 80 assisted living units on site would be combined and developed into 40 apartments. The existing 48 apartments would be updated throughout with modern systems and finishes. Units would be a combination of studio and one-bedroom apartments.

The project is designed to “expand capacity to serve vulnerable seniors” who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of experiencing homelessness, city staff said in a presentation to the council, adding that Hope Cooperative is a “responsive” service provider with “extensive experience” of over 40 years.

“This is one of those tools to prevent homelessness here in Citrus Heights,” City Manager Ash Feeney said on Aug. 14.

Up to 30 units would be allocated toward accommodating those with behavioral health needs, referred from the Sacramento Behavioral Health full-service partnership. Another 28 units would be referred from Sacramento Steps Forward. Lastly, up to 30 additional units would be allocated for those referred from Sacramento County Department of Family Child and Adult Services. To be eligible, heads of household must be 55 years or older, be experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and have an income of less than 50 percent of the surrounding area income level. New annual income eligibility is released each year.

Councilmember Tim Schaefer, Vice Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa, and Mayor Bret Daniels all questioned whether the project would draw in city of Sacramento homeless resident referrals instead of primarily placing Citrus Heights homeless residents. Hope Cooperative CEO April Ludwig said it would be “illegal to geographically profile” when referring residents to housing, but emphasized that the Homeless Navigation team “tries to place individuals in areas that they have identified as their residence.”

Karpinski-Costa questioned whether the money could be better spent elsewhere on other homelessness prevention options.

Councilmember MariJane Lopez-Taff and Daniels both expressed concern about the impact of adding another low-income complex so close to another low-income complex and to a nearby school, saying that the existing complex, Sunrise Pointe, has already resulted in multiple safety concerns from residents and has resulted in higher police activity.

Feeney said the current Auburn Oaks property is in “poor condition” and already draws significant police resources, including “a lot of calls for service” in the area. According to Feeney, grant funding would allow Hope Cooperative to “fully rehab” and update the facility.

In January 2024, The Sentinel reported that living conditions at the former skilled nursing facility “have been poor from the start,” according to residents interviewed by Sentinel staff. Residents said brown water frequently came from bathroom fixtures, and there had been recurring pest problems.

According to the city, Hope Cooperative has already received a $25 million Community Care Expansion Capital Expansion Grant from the California Department of Social Services. After identifying a shortfall in funding, Hope Cooperative requested gap funding from the City of Citrus Heights to support the project. The grant amount would come from the city’s Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA) funding, according to city staff.

Daniels proposed that the City Council wait to approve the grant funding request, and asked city staff and Hope Cooperative staff to return at the next council meeting to answer the questions and concerns brought up by other City Council members.

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at City Hall. Public comments can be made in person during the meeting or submitted online prior to the meeting. City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.