Butte County accepts $36.7 million additional CDBG‑DR allocation for Humboldt senior housing project

Butte County on Oct. 28 amended its multifamily housing master agreement to accept an additional $36,735,000 in state CDBG‑DR funds for the Humboldt Senior Housing project, enabling the county to execute a development agreement for construction.

The allocated funds will support construction of 80 cottage‑style one‑bedroom units targeted to older adults; developer Christian Church Homes described units as about 600 square feet with household incomes and rents targeted to very low incomes.

"The size of all of the homes are gonna be 1 bedrooms, all for seniors," Cynthia Alvarez, CEO of Christian Church Homes, told the board. She said the project serves households with average incomes around $17,400 per year and that the project will move forward to construction after permitting.

Why it matters: The new allocation will expand the county’s multifamily CDBG‑DR program and allow construction to begin on a larger senior project than was previously funded. County staff said the state requalified the project quickly after the county committed previous funds, enabling the additional award.

Board action: The board approved amending the master standard agreement for the multifamily housing program from $118,000,000 to a cap of $155,000,000 to accommodate the additional funding allocation.

Public questions: A board member noted the per‑square‑foot cost implied by the award is high (roughly $770 per sq. ft. using the board’s quick math) and asked the developer to explain the cost drivers; the developer said the award covers site work and infrastructure as well as unit construction and that the project will provide on‑site services for an extremely low‑income population.

Evidence: Presentation by Deputy CAO Katie Simmons and project developer Christian Church Homes (03:00:00–03:08:30).