Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is touting a new Stockton housing development as an example of how excess state-owned land can become affordable living units.
Several state officials attended a groundbreaking Thursday on the project slated to become a 94-unit community called La Passeggiata at 622 E. Lindsey St. in Stockton. The development is made possible by the donation of land by the state that it otherwise had no plans to use.
La Passeggiata will become one of nearly 50 projects around California that also are being built on land donated by the state to increase low-income housing.
The project dates to 2019 when Newsom signed an executive order to try to deal with the state’s housing affordability crisis. The order called for identifying underutilized parcels owned by the state that would be suitable for housing. In order to be deemed suitable, they needed to be near transit, job centers or other conveniences.
Newsom said the program does more than transform state-owned land into something new: It offers hope and stability for California residents.
“Thanks to the Governor’s executive order, nearly an acre of land sitting unused in the heart of Stockton — blocks from the Civic Center and waterfront — will be transformed into critically needed affordable housing,” Gustavo Velasquez, director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development, said in a statement. The agency is managing the endeavor along with the Department of General Services.
La Passeggiata will consist of two buildings connected by a breezeway. One will be five stories and offer 39 one- and two-bedroom apartments. The other will be six stories and have 55 two- and three-bedroom units. They are aimed at attracting families and seniors, officials said.
“This energy-efficient project will reduce the community’s carbon footprint and breathe new life into downtown Stockton,” Tomiquia Moss, secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, said in a statement. The apartments will include energy-efficient appliances and solar power.
The project’s builder hailed the complex as more than just a place to live.
“This community is more than housing: It’s about connection, opportunity, and building a stronger Stockton for families,” said Carol Ornelas, CEO of Visionary Home Builders, a nonprofit developer.