Newsom touts 53‑unit Coachella housing

California Governor Gavin Newsom used a May 15 housing announcement to spotlight a 53-unit affordable senior development in Coachella as part of a broader push covering more than 380 homes statewide. The project, known locally as Casa Sienna, was described by state officials as the first affordable senior housing complex in the city. Local officials said the development is aimed at residents 62 and older and is expected to cost $38 million. The state tied the Coachella project to a larger set of affordable housing milestones in the Bay Area and Coachella Valley. ### Which Coachella project did Newsom highlight? Casa Sienna is the Coachella development Newsom highlighted in Friday’s announcement. Coachella officials said the project will bring 53 affordable units for low-income seniors to a site at 1177 Sixth St. in the city. KESQ reported the project was scheduled for a groundbreaking ceremony on May 14, one day before Newsom’s statewide announcement. (gov.ca.gov) The California Department of Housing and Community Development said the Coachella development is a 100% affordable project for low-income seniors and called it the first affordable housing senior complex in the City of Coachella. The governor’s office said the homes announced Friday were being developed near public transportation, schools and other resources. (kesq.com) ### Who is supposed to live there? Coachella officials said Casa Sienna is intended for residents age 62 and older. The city said the apartments are aimed at households earning between 30% and 60% of area median income, placing the project in the income-restricted affordable housing category rather than market-rate senior housing. (hcd.ca.gov) Newsom said in the state announcement that the developments would create more opportunities for Californians to live near family, work and other parts of daily life. That language was repeated in local coverage of the Coachella project. ### How large is the project, and what will it include? (kesq.com) The city said the development carries a $38 million price tag and will be built as a four-story building. Coachella officials said the project will include about 4,700 square feet of ground-floor space and resident amenities including a community room with kitchen, a computer room, storage space and property management offices. (hcd.ca.gov) KESQ reported the site is close to public transit, medical facilities, parks, a library, a community center and retail services. State officials said the broader group of projects announced Friday was supported by California Climate Investments, the state’s cap-and-invest program focused on communities most affected by pollution. (kesq.com) ### Who is backing and building Casa Sienna? Mayor Frank Figueroa said in a city statement that the project would help seniors remain in the community. Coachella officials said Casa Sienna is an initiative of Coachella Prospera and that financing includes a Transformative Climate Communities grant program, a Deferred Impact Fee loan and a Community Facilities District loan from the city, along with support from other partners. (kesq.com) Tomiquia Moss, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, said in the state release that the projects showed what was possible when state and local partners stayed focused on residents who needed affordable homes. Samuel Assefa, director of the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation and chair of the California Strategic Growth Council, said funding came in part through the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities and Transformative Climate Communities programs. (kesq.com) ### How does this fit into the state’s May 15 announcement? Newsom’s office said the May 15 announcement covered affordable housing progress in Union City, Redwood City, Oakland and Coachella. The total across those projects was described as more than 380 homes. The Bay Area sites included family housing developments, while Coachella was the senior project singled out in the release. (gov.ca.gov) The governor’s announcement did not present Casa Sienna as a standalone unveiling. Instead, it folded the Coachella project into a statewide housing message that emphasized climate-linked funding, transit access and local partnerships. Those descriptions came from the governor’s office and state housing officials. (gov.ca.gov) ### What happens next in Coachella? Coachella officials said construction on Casa Sienna is expected to be completed in October 2027. The next tangible milestone is the build-out of the four-story complex at 1177 Sixth St., with units reserved for seniors 62 and older under the project’s affordability rules. (kesq.com) (gov.ca.gov)