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Sparks selects Reno Housing Authority plan for 12-unit affordable project at 2026 I Street
Summary
The council approved selecting the Reno Housing Authority’s conceptual design for a 12-unit affordable development on a 0.207-acre city-owned parcel; units will serve households at or below 50% of area median income with 50-year affordability and project-based vouchers.
The Sparks City Council unanimously selected the Reno Housing Authority’s conceptual proposal to develop 12 affordable housing units at 2026 I Street (APN 031-184-08), the city-owned parcel the council purchased in February 2024.
Amy Jones, the city’s housing specialist, told the council the site is 0.207 acres in a mixed single-family and multifamily neighborhood near Sullivan Lane and Prater Way and within walking distance of transit and services. Under terms tied to the Home Means Nevada initiative (HMNI) grant that funded the parcel purchase, the project must serve households at or below specified income levels and maintain affordability periods tied to the grant.
The Reno Housing Authority (RHA) proposal calls for 12 studio and one‑bedroom units targeted to households earning 50 percent of area median income and below. Jones said all 12 units would carry project-based vouchers so residents would generally pay about 30 percent of income toward rent while the housing authority covers the remaining subsidy. RHA estimates total project cost at $5,430,520, or roughly $452,543 per unit. The RHA proposed a 50‑year affordability period for the site.
If the council’s selection proceeds, the city will enter a development agreement with RHA; the agreement would include compliance with the HMNI grant, a declaration of restrictive covenants running with the land, and a timeline. The city would transfer the property to RHA via a quitclaim deed, with a reversion clause if RHA does not develop the site as required within the agreed timeframe. Jones said the next steps — development agreement, grant assignment/assumption, and property transfer — would return to the council for formal approval.
RHA’s tentative schedule presented to council estimated design, permitting and planning work in 2025, site preparation and contractor selection in 2026, with a 12‑month construction period starting in the third quarter of 2026 and occupancy and lease-up in 2027. Jones said RHA has prior experience using HMNI funds and listed several projects the authority has developed and opened recently in the region.
The council voted to select the RHA conceptual design on a motion with a second by Councilmember Vanderwell; the motion carried unanimously.
