The future of development and affordable housing projects in Sacramento is starting to look pretty grim. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the state budget into law June 29, putting two new bills into effect that significantly impact redevelopment agencies: ABx26 and ABx27. “There is no good news in any of this,” said La Shelle Dozier, executive director for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). “It’s very detrimental, given the fact that we have an economy that’s struggling.” The two bills go hand-in-hand. ABx26 says redevelopment agencies can opt to discontinue redevelopment activities and be dissolved. ABx27 says that if redevelopment agencies pay a first-year lump sum paymen

Developers are promising to bring new life to a blighted section of Alkali Flat following the groundbreaking ceremony Thursday for 81 units of affordable housing adjacent to the Alkali Flat/La Valentina light rail station. The site on the corner of 12th and D streets has been vacant for more than 20 years and previously housed an auto repair shop. The new construction will include 63 apartments and 18 townhouses, the latter being the first “Net Zero” site designed for Sacramento, meaning all energy consumed on the site will be produced there. “We’re here to bring, I think, the most contemporary, most cutting-edge design that we could bring to one of the oldest residential neighborhoods

Cathy Orange meets me at a very unusual spot. She tells me to meet her at Safeway, she has a story for me, plus she has to get her grocery shopping done. I follow Cathy Orange down the aisles, as she selects coffee, cheeses, variety of meats, bread, cucumbers, cereals and everything else that she can fit into her basket. She tells me that she was waiting for the light rail at 9pm on 12th Street between D and E Streets in Sacramento. This is known as Akalai Flats/La Valentina. While waiting, she was slapped in the face by an unknown force. She was startled from this experience. She tells me that this area of the light rail station is haunted. Now this is the 2nd time, I have heard a ligh