Seven Oak Park families achieved a significant milestone in homeownership through the collaborative efforts of the City of Sacramento, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento, volunteers, and donors as they gathered to last weekend to celebrate the completion of the seven homes.
On Feb. 22, over 75 community members and volunteers, along with representatives from the City’s Office of Innovation and Economic Development and Habitat for Humanity, convened to celebrate the final phase of the 10-home Oak Park Community Revitalization Development. The first three homes were dedicated in June 2024, and these seven represent the remaining homes and families.
“This initiative is a clear reflection of the City’s dedication to improving housing opportunities and fostering an environment where Oak Park families can prosper in their own neighborhoods,” said the City’s Economic Investment Manager Leslie Fritzsche.
“Each home we build is a testament to the resilience of the families we serve, the generosity of our community, and the life-changing impact of equity building homeownership for generations to come,” said Leah Miller, president & CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Sacramento.
Supported by the City’s funds committed as part of the Aggie Square Community Benefit Partnership, this $500,000 initiative allocated to Habitat were used to revitalize 10 scattered sites owned by the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency in Oak Park.
To ensure that the program benefits help stabilize the future for existing residents, families were selected from a pool of applicants residing in priority zip codes along the Stockton Boulevard corridor adjacent to the new UC Davis Aggie Square innovation campus.
For future homeowner Wendy, the journey to homeownership has been one of perseverance—from growing up in foster care to becoming a young, single mother determined to break the cycle of hardship. “A Habitat home would not just provide my children and me with a safe and stable space, but also the opportunity to build a future we can be proud of,” she shared.
On their journey to homeownership, the families contributed over 500 hours of sweat equity in building and purchasing their homes. Through this initiative, they have also secured affordable 30-year, 0% interest-equivalent mortgages.
Stockton Boulevard Housing Stabilization
As part of the Stockton Boulevard area revitalization and the Aggie Square Community Benefits Agreement, the City of Sacramento and UC Davis have allocated $10 million for a multi-year program of housing and financial support for residents living in the neighborhoods around the Stockton Boulevard corridor.
This new funding complements the array of programs already launched under the Stockton Boulevard Housing Stabilization program to support communities adjacent to Aggie Square in the 95817, 95820, 95824 and 95828 zip codes.
These programs are offered through Salvation Army, Step-up on Second Street Inc. and Habitat for Humanity and include emergency rent assistance, home repairs, and utility upgrades among other programs. Since its launch, these programs have served over 630 individuals.
Another City-funded program offered through CLTRE Keeper has prepared 24 low-income people from disadvantaged neighborhoods to become first-time homeowners.
Learn more on the City’s website.
