Media Contact: LCI.press@lci.ca.gov
FRESNO (11/13/26) — Today, the California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) joined UPholdings, RH Community Builders, local leaders and community members to celebrate the ribbon cutting of a 114-unit transit-oriented affordable housing community for families and veterans in central Fresno.
Funded in part by more than $53 million from California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC), Infill Infrastructure Grant and HOME Investment Partnerships programs, the Dakota development will serve households earning between 30% and 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and includes 45 units set aside for veterans. The complex, expected to finish construction next month, replaces the shuttered Smuggler’s Restaurant on Blackstone Avenue.
The Dakota development will help fill a critical gap in affordable housing in Fresno, with more than a third of the units supporting veterans in need. This project serves as another example of California delivering bold climate investments to increase housing, affordability and economic vitality in communities and neighborhoods statewide.
The development’s design includes air conditioning, tree and balcony shading, and high-quality insulation and filtration system to give residents refuge from extreme heat, as well as urban greening efforts to increase permeable land coverage. There will also be an on-site fitness room, community room, community kitchen, outdoor picnic area, outdoor playground and bike parking.
With resilience woven into every part of this development, it can serve as a neighborhood hub for families and veterans for years to come. Following in the footsteps of landmark projects previously funded by our Transformative Climate Communities and AHSC programs, today’s ribbon-cutting marks the latest SGC investment strengthening climate resilience in the Fresno region.
AHSC-funded transportation investments include one lane mile of new protected bikeways, operational funding for frequency improvements on Route 39, bus-stop improvements at six locations, three new crosswalks along with nearly 5,000 feet of new and improved sidewalks, and the purchase and operation of electric passenger vans to support the Dakota Active Transportation Vanpool Project.
The development will include wraparound services from Fresno Mission City Center and a free on-site medical clinic operated by Family Healthcare Network.
A Housing Approach That Works
From the very first moments of the Newsom administration, the national crisis of housing and homelessness — which was decades in the making — has been addressed with ingenuity, seriousness, and expertise. No other state has devoted as much time and attention to these twin problems — and California is a leader in producing positive results.
Building on California’s progress in reversing decades of homelessness growth, Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced preliminary data from across the state showing unsheltered homelessness has declined for the second consecutive year—down nearly 13% since 2024.
About the California Strategic Growth Council
The 10 distinguished members of the SGC include state-agency heads and three appointed public members. The Director of the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation acts as its chair.
The council works collaboratively with public agencies, communities, and stakeholders to achieve sustainability, equity, economic prosperity, and quality of life for all Californians. SGC’s collaborative structure helps state agencies prioritize and uplift community voices in decisions about the projects and resources that receive state climate resilience funds.