Colusa affordable housing development cleared for construction

Robert Summa, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read

Aug. 3—A new and "permanent" affordable housing development in the city of Colusa is slated for construction after the Regional Housing Authority last month successfully closed on its financing for the complex, officials said Thursday.

Called Rancho Colus, officials said the 49-unit affordable housing apartment complex is designed for permanent housing for Colusa County "working adults and their families." Officials noted that Rancho Colus is "not a temporary or transient housing project designed to address the unhoused and/or transient population."

Because financing has been secured, construction is "expected to begin immediately" and officials hope to have residents moving in by November or December 2024.

Rancho Colus, which will be located at 1717 Highway 20 in Colusa, is expected to have one-, two-, and three-bedroom rental units available. There also are plans to have a 3,000-square-foot community center where supportive services will be provided through a partnership with Colusa County Behavioral Health and Social Services, officials said.

"The county, like the rest of California, is significantly lacking in affordable housing, and this development provides local community members with the opportunity to get back on their feet, and also receive the supportive services they need," Colusa County Supervisor and Chair Kent Boes said in a statement. "This hand-up provides permanent, affordable housing for members of our working community, elevating their quality of life, and further advancing Colusa County's housing goals."

Officials said that Colusa County will have an "ongoing presence on-site" with its Behavioral Health and Social Services departments providing supportive services to residents.

"Colusa County has a successful track record of running similar projects that serve our most vulnerable populations, and the county is committed to holding the Rancho Colus property management company accountable to its rules and regulations," officials said.

Rancho Colus is becoming a reality thanks to actions by the Colusa County Board of Supervisors in 2021. That year, supervisors approved the acceptance of No Place Like Home program funds from the California Department of Housing and Community Development. The program, according to the state, "funds the development of permanent supportive housing for persons who are in need of mental health services and are experiencing homelessness, chronic homelessness, or at risk of chronic homelessness."

Through the program, $2 billion was dedicated in bond proceeds to invest in the development of permanent supportive housing for vulnerable populations throughout California, officials said.

Land for Rancho Colus was acquired after the Colusa County Board of Supervisors in the fall of 2021 approved a contract that allowed Colusa County to transfer unused existing housing revenues from Health and Human Services and Behavioral Health to the local Housing Authority. That decision allowed the Housing Authority to purchase the property and comply with state requirements that "opened the door for the release of the non-competitive funds already allocated to Colusa County," officials said.