Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of The Huddle on 5th. Photo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - The City of West Sacramento, Raise the Barr, Brinshore Development, Operative Office and Yolo County Housing Authority celebrated the grand opening of The Huddle on 5th, an 18-unit apartment complex located at 221 5th St. in West Sacramento on Oct. 25.

The development is designed to provide essential supportive services and affordable housing to eligible single parents enrolled in higher education.

The Huddle on 5th, which broke ground in October 2023, caters specifically to single parents enrolled in local colleges, offering them a path to achieving a college degree and securing a family-sustaining wage. To achieve this, residents who remain enrolled in local post-secondary institutions, trade, or technical programs will benefit from income-based housing, alongside a comprehensive program crafted around Raise the Barr's whole-family model.

This model places significant emphasis on coaching, peer-to-peer support, mental health and family wellness, job training, career development, and financial empowerment. Its central focus is alleviating financial burdens, stabilizing expenses and fostering self-sufficiency. Since 2016, Raise the Barr’s methodology and leadership in the Student Basic Needs Movement has produced a 96% success rate in keeping its members enrolled through graduation.

Work on this project began in June 2020, when Operative Office first acquired the quarter-acre site, which was previously a single-family home.

Speakers addressed the attendees at the grand opening of The Huddle on 5th. Photo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

Emily Ware, Director of Development of Operative Office detailed the formula that enabled the groundbreaking.

“Our success in turning this small site into such a dense and impactful project is largely attributable to the City of West Sacramento’s development-friendly zoning, their willingness to co-invest in nearby infrastructure, and their best-in-class approach to both housing and economic development. The project also owes a great deal to Yolo County Housing’s willingness to contribute project-based vouchers, which are crucial for the execution of Raise the Barr’s model,” Ware said. “The project benefits as well from a steady effort by many staff members at the California Department of Housing & Community Development, whose combined efforts resulted in an Infill Infrastructure Grant to the project. And finally, thanks to creative and thoughtful work by the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, the California Debt Limit Allocation Committee, and their respective staff, the project also received an allocation of 4% federal tax credits, state tax credits, and multifamily revenue bonds, each of which serve as foundational building blocks for the project’s financing. R4 is serving as both lender and tax credit investor to the project.”

Said Lori Barr, co-founder and CEO of Raise the Barr, “Access to affordable housing is one the biggest barriers to college completion for single parents and their children. Completion of The Huddle on 5th will bring the dreams of many to life. These dreams of earning a degree, securing a career with a family sustaining wage, and having access to opportunities for economic mobility will create a positive change within families and communities for generations. We hope this space serves as a model for more housing of this kind across the state of California. We have only just begun.”

The Huddle on 5th has 18 units meant for single parents enrolled in higher education. Photo courtesy of the City of West Sacramento

Said West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero, “The city is excited for this very unique affordable housing option that will support multiple generations for years to come. We're grateful for this partnership and look forward to welcoming these new residents to our community.”

Said Richard Sciortino, co-founder and principal of Brinshore Development, “Opening The Huddle on 5th will make a significant impact on the lives of parent scholars and their children in Yolo County.”

Said Ian Evans, executive director of Yolo County Housing, “Yolo County Housing strives to make affordable housing available for all populations in need throughout Yolo County. We’re incredibly proud to provide rent vouchers to residents of this meaningful project, and very grateful to Brinshore Development, Operative Office, and Raise the Barr for bringing this project to West Sacramento.”