Posted on: March 23, 2026
Source: The Press Democrat ; Author: Paulina Pineda
The Casa Roseland 75-unit affordable housing project is nearing completion in Santa Rosa on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.
The first residents at a long-awaited affordable housing project on Sebastopol Road could start moving in this summer.
Casa Roseland will add 75 one- to three-bedroom units and a host of resident amenities, from a children’s play area to on-site space for adult education classes, on a prominent stretch of Roseland’s main drag.
Construction workers have been testing mechanical, electrical and other systems, making minor touchups and preparing for final inspections, with work expected to be completed in May and residents beginning to move in the next month, according to Lyn Hikida with developer MidPen Housing.
Pre-applications opened March 16 for a spot in the complex, which will be open to individuals and families earning between 30% and 60% of the area median income. Monthly rents will range from $849 for a one-bedroom to a maximum of $2,355 for a three-bedroom depending on household size and income.
The affordable apartments are part of the larger Tierra de Rosas redevelopment reshaping the heart of Roseland, a predominantly Latino neighborhood folded into Santa Rosa city limits in 2017. The project also calls for 100 market-rate apartments, a 1-acre community plaza and a civic and commercial building.
“This is the fulfillment of a long-standing promise,” said Michelle Whitman, executive director of the Sonoma County Community Development Commission, which purchased the 7.4-acre property in 2010 and is overseeing the project. “I think there were doubts that promises made would be delivered on but I think we now have enough of the project in the ground that there is confidence that the entire vision will be fulfilled.”
Conceived more than two decades ago as a mixed-use hub, the project inched along amid funding hurdles and other setbacks.
Some of the last remaining structures at the site, once home to an Albertsons grocery store and a bowling alley and later a locally-owned Latin market and other retailers, were demolished in late 2023 to make way for the installation of underground utilities and other site work.
Construction on the plaza also is expected to wrap up by summer, while planning for the civic and commercial spaces is underway. The market-rate apartments will be built as part of a future phase, though officials with developer UrbanMix said they don’t have an estimated start date yet.
Whitman said officials will gather later this year for a ribbon-cutting to celebrate the completion of the apartments and plaza.
Growing interest in affordable apartments
Casa Roseland consists of 24 one-bedroom units, 31 two-bedroom units and 20 three-bedroom units ranging in size from about 500 square feet to just under 1,100 square feet across a four-story building on the northwest corner of the site. One unit is reserved for a community manager.
Apartments will feature all-electric kitchen appliances, heating and air conditioning, and storage.
Resident amenities in the complex include a community room with a kitchen, a learning center and teen room, on-site laundry, an outdoor courtyard with grills and bike storage.
Workforce development, youth education services and health classes will be offered to residents.
Wood framing at Casa Roseland began going up about 15 months ago after the site was cleared and graded and housing, community and government leaders came together last May to mark the start of work after years of planning.
New amenities for the community
The Community Development Commission is overseeing construction of the plaza, which is estimated to cost $2.4 million. It’s being supported through a $2 million matching grant from the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District and other funding.
In addition to the plaza, community members also have long been interested in rounding out the development with other family-friendly offerings. Early ideas included permanent space for a library or food vendors. A new site for the library has since been found and is under construction on Hearn Avenue.
The commission in early January solicited formal proposals from interested community groups and businesses that could own, develop and operate the two spaces and responses are currently under review, Whitman said.
Whitman couldn’t disclose information about what kind of proposals the commission received, citing the confidential bidding process. But ahead of seeking bids, the commission and MidPen collected community feedback during several listening sessions held in December and a survey that showed preferences for a gathering space to showcase art, music and entertainment, a food hall as well as medical and other services.
The civic parcel, about a third of an acre on the southwest corner of the property, and the commercial parcel, just under a quarter-acre on the southeast corner, would be sold to the successful respondents, she said.
The properties have been appraised for $234,000 and $294,000, respectively, according to a copy of the bid.
Staffers anticipate that the projects will be completed within five years, she said.
Coursey said reaching this stage of the project after decades of work was not only thrilling but a testament to the commitment by county officials and partners to bring transformational change to this area.
“It’s an exciting time in Roseland right now,” he said. “I’ve spoken to residents who see this not just as new housing for the community but recognition. They feel that Roseland is seen. That Roseland is cared about. They see this as a sign of positive change.”
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