Grant funding obtained by Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) will help purchase four additional S700 low-floor light rail trains. Photo courtesy of SacRT

SACRAMENTO REGION, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento Regional Transit District (SacRT) is proud to announce it has been awarded three grants totaling $25.8 million through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Round 9 program.

In total, SacRT in partnership with the cities of Sacramento and West Sacramento and private development partners including AMCAL MultiHousing, Community Housing Works and E. Smith & Company, has secured more than $126 million from this round of awards.

This marks a significant milestone for SacRT, which received $1.5 million in the previous round, and reflects the agency’s growing leadership in advancing sustainable, equitable and transit-oriented development across the Sacramento region.

The funding will support a range of transformative transportation projects such as the purchase of four new low-floor light rail vehicles, increasing SacRT’s new fleet from 59 to 63, including two vehicles dedicated to the future Downtown Riverfront Streetcar project.

The funding also supports Florin Station improvements that serve the Blue Line to accommodate the height requirements of the new low-floor vehicles, enhancing safe and accessible boarding for all passengers.

In addition, there will be Transit Signal Priority upgrades at 33 intersections along the Meadowview corridor and J and L streets in downtown Sacramento to improve service reliability and rider experience, as well as support for construction at the Sacramento Valley Station (SVS) Transit Center, building on $30 million already secured for this multimodal hub.

Additionally, these investments will directly support 546 new affordable housing units across three developments, expanding on more than 1,000 units of transit-oriented housing already underway along SacRT’s Blue and Gold lines.

The projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 311,883 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent: a reduction comparable to removing 67,000 cars from the road annually.

“This funding is a game-changer for our region,” said SacRT General Manager/CEO Henry Li. “It allows us to close critical funding gaps, expand our clean transit fleet and support the kind of walkable, affordable communities that make Sacramento a more sustainable and inclusive place to live.”

“The Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities grants are meaningful investments for Sacramento families,” said State Senator Angelique Ashby.

Sen. Angelique Ashby said, “Combining affordable housing with dependable transit opens doors to jobs, education, healthcare, economic development, and, importantly, individual independence. These critical housing projects reflect our region’s ongoing commitment to strengthening neighborhoods and making life easier for everyone who chooses to call Sacramento home.”

Project highlights include the development of I Street Apartments in Downtown Sacramento, an 84-unit affordable housing project which will includes Class IV bikeways, sidewalk repairs and transit signal priority upgrade.

The Clover Apartments in South Sacramento, a 348-unit transit-oriented development near Meadowview Light Rail Station, will include sidewalk upgrades, bikeways and transit signal priority infrastructure. SacRT will add two zero-emission low-floor light rail vehicles to the Blue Line to support increased service demand.

Grant funding obtained by Sacramento Regional Transit (SacRT) will help purchase four additional S700 low-floor light rail trains. Photo courtesy of SacRT

Finally, the MOSA Apartment Homes at Gateway development in West Sacramento will benefit from two new electric low-floor light rail vehicles and station improvements on SacRT’s light rail extension into West Sacramento. The project also includes new bikeways, walkways and bus shelters, along with workforce and housing stability programs through the city’s Home Run initiative.

Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) is administered by Strategic Growth Council and implemented by the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities is part of Cap-and-Invest (formerly Cap-and-Trade) dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy and improving public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged and low-income communities

California Climate Investments projects include affordable housing, renewable energy, public transportation, zero emission vehicles, environmental restoration, more sustainable agriculture, recycling and more.

Learn more at https://sgc.ca.gov/grantprograms/ahsc/