Some 14 gold-plated shovels struck the earth on the morning of June 2, marking the start of construction of eight new homes.

 

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Some 14 gold-plated shovels struck the earth the morning of June 2, marking the start of construction of eight new homes being built by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento in partnership with the City of City Heights at 7795 Sayonara Drive.

Construction of the first phase of a planned 26-home residential project that has now started has been three years in the making, said Leah Miller, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento.

Miller welcomed and thanked Congressman Ami Bera who helped secure federal funding for the $8 million project, representatives of local nonprofit organizations including the Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs, and city planning officials who were instrumental in guiding the project forward.

The Sayonara Drive project is Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento’s largest project to date, Miller said. Completion of all 26 units is scheduled for 2027.

“It’s a testament to what’s possible, when so many partners collaborate and share a vision to see a project succeed,” Miller said.

Miller recalled a past meeting with Congressman Bera on a hot summer morning on Sayonara Drive when congressional funding for the project was first being sought.

“We’ve come a long way to this day,” Miller said, over the sounds of heavy equipment busily working behind her from the podium.

City Manager Ash Feeney stands alongside Mayor Jayna Karpinsky-Costa at the Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento Project groundbreaking event on June 2.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento will fill the 12 vacant city-owned lots with 26 new single-family homes, which are to be owned, not rented. The project fulfills an obligation for housing that the City of Citrus Heights was initially required to meet within five years.

Miller described the project as a “symbol of renewal and resilience” of the greater Sayonara Drive neighborhood.

The initial eight first-time home buyers whom Habitat for Humanity selects in this phase will create a street “full of hope, stability and pride of first-time home ownership.”

Construction on the first eight homes in the Habitat for Humanity Sayonara project starts in July, after ground leveling and site improvement work on the vacant land is completed.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento received 300 applicants for the first eight homes to be built. Selection of the eight qualified partners is now in process, Miller said. 

The number of applications that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento received for the first eight homes it will build wasn’t unusual, Miller said, but attests to the strong need for new affordable single-family housing in a city such as Citrus Heights that is largely built out.

Construction of the new units on Sayonara Drive by Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento on the 12 vacant city-owned lots in Citrus Heights, using CalHome funding, will meet the city’s obligation to replace blighted rental units that were demolished between 2008 and 2010.

“We’re breathing new life into Sayonara Drive, and we’re proud to be a partner in this project,” said Mayor Jayna Karpinsky-Costa. “Together, we’re building a safe, stable community.”

City Manager Ash Feeney recognized Nichole Piva and Allison Bermudez of the city’s planning department for their roles in guiding the project through the city’s administrative permitting process.

The Sayonara project deeply reflects both the city’s shared values and its vision for the future, Feeney said.

Bera recalled his experience as a Habitat for Humanity volunteer when he was teaching medical students who joined him on a job site. He is “looking forward to taking a break from Washington, D.C., hopefully when the weather’s cooler” to volunteer his time toward the completion of some of the project homes.

Congressman Ami Bera helped secure federal funding for the $8 million project.

The new community will include 26 homes ranging from two- to five-bedrooms, all equipped with energy-efficient heating systems, low-flow plumbing fixtures, alarm systems, solar battery storage, rooftop solar and drought-tolerant landscaping. The homes will also be EV-ready, supporting the region’s goals for sustainability and affordability.

Construction will be done in three stages of eight to 10 units per stage, with each stage taking approximately a year to complete.

Qualified home buyers are required to contribute 500 hours of “sweat equity” during construction. Successful applicants who meet specific Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento program criteria can qualify for a 30-year, zero-percent equivalent mortgage.

The new all-electric, duet style homes feature drought-tolerant landscaping, energy-efficient heating systems, low-flow plumbing systems, security alarm systems, solar battery storage and rooftop solar panels.

The city estimates that construction of the first eight residential homes will be finished in 2026 and that applications for the next phase of eight additional homes will then follow. Construction on the remaining 10 homes will begin in 2027.