City of Sacramento
benefits aren’t just for the wealthy and
that there’s a community-engagement
process.
“With the substantial figures that
could be invested in opportunity zones,
residents are concerned that large proj-
ects could go up in their neighborhoods
that they have no knowledge of or say
in,” says Tyrone Roderick Williams, di-
rector of development of the Sacramen-
to Housing and Redevelopment Agency.
Noting that opportunity zones allow
investment in real estate and creation,
expansion and relocation of business-
es, Williams says, “On the surface,
that’s wonderful and should stimulate
WWW.BROWN-CONSTRUCTION.COM
the economy. The flip side is that if it’s
housing, there’s no requirement that it
be affordable housing. If market-rate
housing is built in lower-income neigh-
borhoods, gentrification and displace-
ment issues become very real.”
SHRA, an independent entity, works
with the City and county to promote the
development of affordable housing. Any
opportunity zone project will need ap-
proval from local elected officials, and
the City is streamlining those projects
to encourage development “by reducing
the fees they charge for affordable hous-
ing projects,” Williams says. “However,
any time a project comes before the
City or county, we need it to trigger civic
engagement in a meaningful way, rather
than to just check a box,” says Williams.
“I’ve been very optimistic, as opportuni-
ty zones will help drive investment, but
it’s our role with the City and county to
ensure the projects benefit residents as
well as investors.”
Looking Ahead
Nobody knows how successful oppor-
tunity zones in Sacramento will be, but
there is vast potential for investors, the
City and the county, including residents
and visitors. “We’re going to do all we
can to make Sacramento the place to
invest,” says Fritzsche. “These projects
take collaboration with a wide range of
stakeholders, including the investment
community, the lending community,
community-based organizations and
even foundations, and we’re working on
strong collaborations to make these in-
vestments possible.” n
Jennifer von Geldern is a freelance writer who
covers regional businesses, charities, events
and the people who enrich our communities.
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