Sacramento investment without displacement

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Sacramento Investment Without Displacement (SIWD) was created to serve as a single coalition of multiple organizations and individuals that are working together to help protect vulnerable communities and neighborhoods from potential negative and destabilizing impacts of large development projects in Sacramento. SIWD seeks to work with and negotiate with large institutions and developers that propose developments that threaten to destabilize existing neighborhoods, their residents, cultural norms, small businesses and community institutions. This idea emerged from the Sacramento Building Healthy Communities " Community Development Action Team (CDAT), and specifically, CDAT's research on Aggie Square, a 20 acre commercial and mixed-use development proposed by UC Davis on land owned by the State of California, and controlled by the University of California.

The build-out of Aggie Square will be carried out by private investors and developers in partnership with the University of California and UC Davis Health. This development and the influx of tech businesses and the addition of 1000's of worker's at Aggie Square has the potential to bring positive opportunities for existing residents and businesses in the surrounding neighborhoods of Oak Park, Tahoe Park, Fruitridge Manor, Colonial Heights, Elmhurst and beyond. What is certain, however, is that without adequate mitigations and artful proactive and authentic planning on behalf of our communities, displacement of existing residents and businesses will occur throughout Aggie Square's build-out and for decades to come. With Sacramento suffering from an existing housing shortage, and property values continuing to increase, an influx of additional workers will put even more pressure on the housing markets in these neighborhoods surrounding the UC Davis Medical Center. The result will be higher rents and home prices, more homelessness and over-crowding, and families forced to spend an even larger percentage of their income on transportation and housing or to be forced out of their homes and neighborhoods altogether. The influx of so many new workers, businesses and cars will further exacerbate challenges related to transportation and traffic, street safety, air quality, child care, law enforcement and schools. Unless the development's drawbacks are mitigated this project has the potential to further divide our communities and deepen existing inequities. 

The SWID coalition's mission is to advocate hand-in-hand with residents to resolve the negative impacts in order to make this project a true asset to the community. By working together as a coalition, our collective power increases the success of achieving a comprehensive Community Benefits Agreement with the University of California and the developer Wexford to mitigate any negative impacts. We pledge to negotiate with one voice, and bring all of our constituents together to demand an open planning process for this project, and that any development that happens, is meant to serve our residents and neighborhoods rather than to tear them apart. 

If you are a resident of Sacramento, or belong to an allied organization and would like more information on how to join our coalition, please follow this link to our Membership page.