Sacramento Railyards Vote Delayed: Is 6% Affordable Housing Enough for Our City?

A controversial vote on the massive Sacramento Railyards development was postponed this week due to a paperwork error. The delay gives both sides more time to argue over a proposal that would use taxpayer money to build a soccer stadium, a music hall, and a Kaiser hospital. But the fight isn’t about the amenities. It’s about the homes.

The current plan calls for 10,000 new housing units, but only 600 of them, or 6%, would be designated as affordable. With Sacramento’s rent prices skyrocketing, community groups like Unite Here Local 49 are demanding that number be raised to 25%. They also want an anti-eviction fund and a full-service grocery store included in the development. Adding fuel to the fire, opponents claim the voting district for the project was deliberately redrawn to exclude residents of nearby apartments who oppose the plan.

The Sacramento Railyards is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape our downtown. The question is whether it will be a neighborhood for everyone, or just a playground for the few. What do you think should be the priority for the Railyards: the stadium or the affordable housing?