North Auburn affordable housing community is open – and full

A ceremony was held Wednesday to welcome Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek, a community of 79 homes for low-income and special-needs families. It included speeches from area dignitaries, many thank-yous, recognition and food. It was a typical such ceremony – until Sonja Flood, a mother of four, delivered a passionate speech about her life that brought some in the audience to tears and made everyone rise in a standing ovation when she finished. "I need you to know that you have helped me provide a nicer home for my kids than I have ever lived in," said Flood, who swung back and forth from an occasional shy chuckle to tears as she shared stories that included having to make bread for her family to save money and how her dishwasher didn't work. Now, she's in a brand new home. "You've provided a peaceful, beautiful home. You have given us a home to heal and feel safe," Flood said. "But my favorite part, though, is laughing with my kids. There wasn't a lot of that before." Located on 3 acres of county-owned property on First Street at the Placer County Government Center, Mercy North Auburn at Rock Creek is made up of 32 two-bedroom apartments, 25 three-bedroom apartments and 22 one-bedroom apartments. Residents began moving in on Jan. 24, and Doug Shoemaker, president of Mercy Housing California, said all 79 homes are occupied by working people and about 20 others who were homeless at one time. They pay 30 percent of their income toward rent. A few residents stood outside their new homes watching the ceremony. "We're thrilled to see 79 families have this opportunity," Shoemaker said. "Auburn and Placer County made this really easy. The Board of Supervisors and staff did everything they could to create an opportunity for a developer like Mercy Housing to step in, and we were thrilled to do that. Along the way, they've done everything they possibly can to roll out the red carpet and make it easy for us to develop another building here in Auburn." The land is being leased for $1 per year. Placer County contributed funding from its Housing Trust Fund for the development and processing fees, and there was funding from two state grants. Groundbreaking for Rock Creek was held Aug. 12, 2020. Mercy Housing Property Manager Kristen Foley gave a tour of the community following the ceremony to show a two-bedroom, one-bath home totaling 865 square feet. Each home comes with a refrigerator, dishwasher and garbage disposal, and there is laundry on site. There also is a dog park and multiple playgrounds. A multi-functional community room, where lunch was served following the ceremony, includes furniture, a kitchenette and artwork. Classroom-style school programming will be held inside the community room. "We can go much further to achieve much more for our residents when we all come together," said District 5 Supervisor and Placer County Board of Supervisors Chair Cindy Gustafson. "We've all come together to create this outstanding project."