ELK GROVE, CA (MPG) - City officials, community members and housing advocates gathered May 14 to celebrate the groundbreaking of Coral Blossom Apartments, an 81-unit affordable housing development intended to serve formerly unhoused and low-income households.

The project, developed by Excelerate Housing Group in partnership with Hope Cooperative, will be built on the west side of Elk Grove Florin Road south of Calvine Road. Once completed, the development will provide permanent supportive housing through fully furnished one-bedroom apartments paired with on-site supportive services.

The groundbreaking marks a significant milestone for a project that emerged from a yearslong dispute over a prior affordable housing project in Elk Grove.

Coral Blossom Apartments replaces the previously proposed Oak Rose Apartments, a 66-unit development in Old Town Elk Grove that was also planned by Excelerate Housing Group to serve individuals experiencing housing insecurity and disabilities. City Council denied that project, a decision that later prompted a lawsuit from the California Attorney General’s Office alleging violations of Senate Bill 35, a state law designed to streamline qualifying affordable housing projects.

Guests in attendance for the May 14 groundbreaking for Coral Blossom Apartments included city officials such as Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, City Manager Jason Behrmann and Vice Mayor Darren Suen. 

In 2024, the city reached a settlement agreement with the developer that called for the relocation of the project to a different site through a separate application process, paving the way for Coral Blossom Apartments.

Dana Trujillo, president and chief executive officer of Excelerate Housing Group, reflected on the evolution of its relationship with the city and acknowledged the challenges surrounding the earlier proposal during opening remarks at the May 14 ceremony.

“Our relationship started off a little rocky over an early project that we wanted to develop,” Trujillo said. “Though we were not able to agree on the Oak Rose project, working with the city on Coral Blossom has really been great.”

Trujillo said assembling the project’s financial partners was critical to making the development possible. Funding partners include Century Housing Corporation, Citi Community Capital, the California Municipal Finance Authority, the City of Elk Grove, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee and the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee.

 

Dana Trujillo, president and chief executive officer of Excelerate Housing Group, is pictured speaking at the start of the Coral Blossom Apartments groundbreaking ceremony on May 14. 

Hope Cooperative will provide on-site supportive services through offices located centrally within the development. Project leaders said the combination of stable housing and support services is designed to help residents achieve long-term stability and successfully transition out of homelessness.

As a key partner in the project, Hope Cooperative Chief Executive Officer April Ludwig spoke about the purpose behind the development, describing it as a reflection of the community’s compassion and commitment to helping those in need.

“We’re celebrating the culmination of what’s to come. Today is about what becomes possible when a community comes together around hope, dignity, healing and opportunity,” Ludwig said. “This project represents stability for individuals and families… It reflects what can happen when people move beyond conversations and into action.”

As part of the effort to help residents maintain long-term housing, rental subsidies will be administered through the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA).

Cheyenne Caraway, director of the agency’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, said Coral Blossom Apartments will become the agency’s second project-based voucher community in Elk Grove and its largest in the city to date.

 

From left are Century Housing Corporation Senior Vice President Josh Hamilton, William Hezmalhalch Architects Senior Vice President Lorrie Gagne, Hope Cooperative Chief Executive Officer April Ludwig, Excelerate Housing Group President and Chief Executive Officer Dana Trujillo, Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen, Lizzet Alvarez of National Equity Fund and SHRA Housing Choice Voucher Program Director Cheyenne Caraway. 

“It’s a strong reflection of a continued shared commitment to expanding housing opportunities not just within the city, but also across the county of Sacramento as well,” Caraway said at the ceremony. “When affordable housing is paired with access to supportive services, it helps families maintain stability and improve their quality of life.”

Caraway added that the project joins more than 3,600 voucher-supported housing units across the region. The Project-Based Voucher program provides rental assistance at designated affordable housing communities through long-term agreements with private property owners, helping eligible residents to afford stable housing.

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen also spoke, emphasizing the project’s significance in addressing homelessness and expanding affordable housing options in the city.

“Coral Blossom Apartments represents a compassionate and forward-thinking investment in our community through permanent supportive housing that will address homelessness here in Elk Grove and the surrounding community,” Singh-Allen said, acknowledging the “bumps” encountered along the way and the collaboration that ultimately moved the project forward.

 

Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen shares words reflecting on the significance of the new 81-unit affordable housing project on Elk Grove Florin Road for addressing the much-needed assistance for unhoused and low-income individuals in the region. 

“I want to recognize the incredible work of Excelerate Housing Group and Hope Cooperative for their commitment to creating meaningful solutions… projects like Coral Blossom will address a critical need in our city,” Singh-Allen added.

In addition to the ceremonial groundbreaking, attendees participated in a “Foundation of Hope” activity, writing letters of encouragement that will be placed into the building’s foundation when it is poured as a “lasting reminder of hope, community and new beginnings.”

Construction, led by Pacific West Builders, for the affordable housing complex is expected to be completed by fall 2027.