A familiar Motel 6 near Stockton Boulevard and Elsie Avenue in south Sacramento could be headed for a serious identity shift. County filings show the roadside motel is being lined up for conversion into permanent supportive housing, with the existing 122-room property potentially transformed into roughly 59 one-bedroom apartments offering on-site services for people transitioning out of homelessness.
What’s proposed
According to CEQAnet, the rehab plan would convert 122 motel rooms into 59 one-bedroom units plus one two-bedroom manager unit, each outfitted with a kitchenette and living area. The filing also lays out a community room, laundry facilities, bicycle storage and resident services offices, with the site’s parking reduced to 78 spaces.
Funding and timeline
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors has signed off on moving ahead with an application for $31,073,600 in Homekey Plus funds from the state and approved a conditional county loan commitment of $3.7 million to help finance the conversion. As detailed by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, the county’s support is contingent while it waits on the state’s Homekey Plus funding decision.
Who’s behind it
Public records list the applicant as CSH Elsie Housing LP, connected to California Supportive Housing. Local reporting on the county filings indicates that the John Stewart Company is expected to manage the property, with Lutheran Social Services slated to handle on-site case management and resident support services, according to Sacramento Business Journal.
How the conversion would work
The CEQA documentation describes a mostly interior-focused overhaul: new windows, fresh paint, updated fixtures, flooring and appliances, along with new modular structures for bike storage, maintenance and office space. The filing notes that the pool and hot tub may either stay or be filled in, and that the project qualifies for categorical CEQA exemptions as infill rehabilitation, according to CEQAnet.
Where this stands
Even with the county’s backing, the deal is not done. Although the Board of Supervisors authorized the Homekey Plus application earlier in the year, reporting indicates a formal submission to the state for this specific conversion had not yet been filed as of the latest coverage. As reported by the Sacramento Business Journal, the project will only move forward if the state ultimately awards the Homekey Plus funds and the local loan terms are finalized.
Why it matters
Homekey Plus is a state program aimed at turning motels and other properties into permanent supportive housing, moving people into units that come with wrap-around services. It has become a key tool for quickly adding supportive homes across California, according to the California Department of Housing and Community Development. If this Elsie Avenue project secures funding and gets built, it would add dozens of permanent supportive apartments to Sacramento’s housing stock at a time when local officials are under intense pressure to expand options for people experiencing homelessness.
