Elk Grove Opens New Affordable Housing Lottery

Affordable housing is the story here — specifically, who gets a shot at it and how fast they need to move. Elk Grove has opened a lottery for The Pardes Phase II, the second half of a new apartment development on Tarak Drive. Applications opened April 26 and close at 11:59 p.m. on May 20. For people priced out of regular market rents, that window matters because this is one of the city’s biggest new below-market projects now leasing up. (elkgrove.gov) ### What exactly opened? The city’s lottery is for The Pardes Phase II at 8335 Tarak Drive, near Big Horn Boulevard and Poppy Ridge Road. This phase adds 140 affordable apartments in two new buildings. Elk Grove’s housing page says the broader Pardes project is a two-phase development totaling 236 affordable units, with Phase I already delivering 96 units. (elkgrove.gov) ### Who is this meant for? This roun(elkgrove.gov)s than 70% of area median income. That is the key filter. The city’s page also says eight of the 140 units are set aside for individuals and families at risk of homelessness, which gives the project a dual role — general affordable housing and a small but meaningful homelessness-prevention pipeline. (elkgrove.gov) ### What (elkgrove.gov)broad. Pardes II includes 42 one-bedroom units, 48 two-bedroom units, and 50 three-bedroom units. That matters because a lot of affordable projects skew smaller, but this one has a real family-sized component. Elk Grove also says the property will include shared community spaces and surface parking, with on-site supportive services from LifeSTEPS. (elkgrove.gov)he rent range is wide because it depends on both unit size and household income. One-bedrooms run from $723 to $1,688. Two-bedrooms run from $868 to $2,026. Three-bedrooms run from $1,003 to $2,340. Housing choice vouchers will be accepted too, which can make the units reachable for households that still could not cover the higher end of those restricted rents on their own. (yahoo.com)174345554.html)) ### How does the lottery work? This is not first-come, first-served in the usual sense. Applicants submit during the open period, then leasing staff work from a randomized ranking list. The city says staff expect to begin contacting applicants near the top of that list between June and August. Basically, getting an application in before the deadline matters more than getting it in during the first hour. (yahoo.com) ### When would people actually move in? Construction is still underway. Elk Grove’s Pardes page says Phase II is expected to be completed by October 2026, while a city spokesperson told local media that some residents could begin moving in between mid-September and mid-October this year. Those timelines are close, but the simple takeaway is that this is a near-term lease-up, not a project years away from opening. (elkgrove.gov) ### Why is Elk Grove doing this now? Because the city is still short on affordable homes, and Pardes II helps on two fronts at once. A 2024 city resolution increased the number of long-term restricted affordable units in the second phase from a much smaller original count to 139 of the planned 140 units. That is a big shift. It means this is not just “new apartments” — it is a project locked in to serve lower-income renters over time. (elkgrov([elkgrove.gov)ty-files/City%20Government/City%20Clerk/Resolutions/2024/09-25-24-7-7-2024-169.pdf)) ### What’s the bottom line? For Elk Grove renters, this is one of the clearest affordable-housing openings on the board right now. The catch is that demand will almost certainly outrun supply. But if you meet the income rules, the city has finally put a real batch of units into play — and the deadline is May 20. (elkgrove.gov)