USA Properties Fund has started construction on a 288-unit affordable housing community in Rocklin, California.
Terracina at Whitney Ranch will provide one- to three-bedroom apartments in a region where rent increases have easily exceeded pay raises during the past several years, said company representatives.
The new development will help serve the housing needs of many households, including early-in-their-career teachers, families saving for their first home, and retirees on a fixed income.
“It’s in an excellent neighborhood with first-rate schools, walking trails, and a short drive to whatever you need, from grocery stores to movie theaters,” said Geoff Brown, president of USA Properties. “We’ve been working on the project for several years, and we’re happy to see it move forward and help fill the critical need for more affordable housing in the community.”
A market-rate project had been considered for the 11-acre property, but after crunching the figures and looking at numerous options, an affordable apartment community made more sense – for the community and USA Properties, according to Jatin Malhotra, vice president of acquisitions for USA Properties.
“We’re committed to helping meet the need for more affordable housing and investing back in the community where we live and work,” Malhotra said.
Roseville, California-based USA Properties has 32 apartment communities in the Sacramento region, but Terracina at Whitney Ranch is the first in Rocklin. The booming demand has increased housing costs 15% during the past year in south Placer County, about double the average pay raise for residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Terracina at Whitney Ranch is an important addition to our community, providing working families a new opportunity to live in Rocklin at more affordable rental rates,” said Rocklin mayor Bill Halldin. “I’m hopeful that many young people who have grown up in town will have a chance to remain here with housing opportunities like Terracina.”
Terracina at Whitney Ranch apartments will be significantly less than nearby market-rate units and are reserved for residents earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income for Placer County—about $21,750 to $50,750 per year for a two-person household.
One-bedroom apartment rents are projected to be $515 to $1,275 per month. Two-bedroom apartments will lease for about $606 to $1,518, while three-bedroom units will rent for about $687 to $1,741. Rents could be slightly higher when Terracina at Whitney Ranch is completed in late 2024.
Residents will enjoy a long list of amenities, including a 4,000-square-foot clubhouse with a community room and a fitness room; a swimming pool; a courtyard with seating; and a tot-lot play area.
Apartments will feature energy-efficient appliances and light fixtures, ceiling fans, and low-flow faucets, showers, and toilets.
USA Properties is developing the $104 million Terracina at Whitney Ranch without local or state subsidies, relying only on tax credits, a “kind of unreal” situation in the affordable housing industry, Malhotra said.
“It was all because of our ability to get creative and how we restructured this project,” he said.
Bank of America is the construction and tax credit lender. Citi Community Capital is the permanent lender.
Terracina at Whitney Ranch is the latest project for USA Properties, the 32nd-largest owner of affordable apartment communities in the nation, according to Affordable Housing Finance’s recent AHF 50 list. The company has about 3,000 apartment units in various phases of development in the West, Brown said.
