Council Approved $15.6 Million for Dakota Housing Project — Here’s Where the Money Goes

Fresno City Council voted last July to accept $15.6 million in state grant money tied to a 114-unit affordable housing project at 3787 N. Blackstone. The developer, UPholdings, was awarded $48.7 million total from California’s Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program. The city’s cut pays for bus upgrades, sidewalks, bike lanes, and other transit improvements around the project.

The housing itself — 68 family units, 45 veteran units, one manager’s unit — targets people earning 30% to 60% of area median income. The money Fresno gets doesn’t build the housing. It funds the infrastructure around it.

FAX gets $6.75 million of the city’s share: one new hydrogen fuel-cell bus for Route 39, five years of operating funds to double the frequency from 30-minute to 15-minute waits, and upgrades to 16 bus stops mostly within a mile of the site. Public Works gets $3.6 million for sidewalk work on Blackstone between Shields and Dayton, Class IV bike lanes on both sides of Blackstone, crosswalk improvements, ADA ramps, and a new HAWK crossing beacon at Dakota and Garland.

Advertisement

The remaining $5.2 million goes to outside groups: CalVans gets $4.4 million to buy and operate 40 electric 15-passenger vans, UPholdings gets $391,000 for transit passes and internet service for residents, and Fresno Rescue Mission gets $351,000. All improvements must be done by 2028.

The council’s resolution, adopted July 25, 2024, authorized the city manager to sign the state’s standard funding agreement. Additional local funding from Measure C and Measure P will be needed in fiscal year 2026 to cover the full cost — those appropriations will be included in future capital budget proposals.

The Breakdown

• Total state award to the Dakota project: $48.7 million
• City’s cut: $15.6 million for transit and street improvements tied to the housing site
• FAX portion: $6.75 million — one hydrogen bus, five years of operating money to cut Route 39 wait times in half, 16 bus stop upgrades
• Public Works portion: $3.6 million — wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, ADA ramps, crosswalk improvements on Blackstone between Shields and Dayton
• Outside groups: $5.2 million — CalVans ($4.4M for electric vans), UPholdings ($391K for resident transit passes and internet), Fresno Rescue Mission ($351K)
• Housing itself: 114 units total (68 family, 45 veteran, 1 manager), reserved for households at 30–60% area median income
• Deadline: All improvements finished by 2028

What This Means for You

The council you elected committed city resources and future Measure C and Measure P dollars to infrastructure around one private developer’s project. The state grant covers most of it, but the resolution acknowledges additional local funding will be necessary in 2026 — those appropriations will be included in future fiscal year budgets.

If you ride Route 39, the shorter wait times and new bus are real. If you walk or bike Blackstone near the site, the sidewalk and lane upgrades matter. The council approved the transit piece, not the housing itself.

What to Watch

The city’s getting $15.6 million, but the developer got $48.7 million total. That’s a 3-to-1 ratio — public money going toward infrastructure tied to this development.

CalVans is getting $4.4 million for electric vans and five years of operating costs.

The resolution says additional Measure C and Measure P funding will be necessary in fiscal year 2026, with appropriations to be included in future capital budgets. That’s the city committing to spend local transportation dollars before the amount is locked down.