Hope Way Apartments proposal in Penryn sparks community pushback.
A proposal to build 240 affordable apartments in Penryn has sparked some of the strongest community opposition seen in rural Placer County in years, with residents arguing the scale of the project could fundamentally alter the character of their small town.
Roseville-based USA Properties Fund, in partnership with Housing Trust Placer, has filed plans for the Hope Way Apartments — a 240-unit, fully affordable rental community proposed on an 11.4-acre site at 3130 Penryn Road, just south of Hope Way and near the Interstate 80 interchange.
The project calls for twelve three-story buildings with a mix of one- to four-bedroom units, along with two single-story clubhouses, recreation areas, and outdoor amenities. Nearly all units would be income-restricted for households earning between 30% and 70% of the area median income, with affordability guaranteed for 55 years.
According to county filings, the apartments could house about 750 residents — nearly doubling Penryn’s current population of roughly 1,000.
Placer County is under significant pressure from the state to add affordable housing. By some estimates, the county is short at least 1,200 units required under state mandates.
Supporters of Hope Way argue the site is already zoned for multifamily housing, strategically located near jobs in Roseville and Rocklin, and one of the few parcels in unincorporated Placer specifically identified for affordable housing.
But for many in Penryn, the issue is not housing need — it’s scale.
At an April 2025 public meeting, residents warned the project would overwhelm schools, roads, and emergency services.
By the time the Planning Commission met on September 25, frustrations had escalated. Several speakers urged the county to delay its review, citing the release of more than 1,000 pages of technical studies just weeks before the hearing. “After two years of preparation between the county and the developer, why has the public been given only a couple of weeks to digest this volume of complex technical information?” said Donna Delma, a 25-year Penryn resident.
The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the project again at a formal hearing on October 16, a date many residents have asked to postpone to allow more time for the community to review the studies.
Others raised traffic concerns, arguing the project undermines the long-planned Penryn Parkway vision — a landscaped four-lane entry route to I-80. “This project will throw all of that under the bus,” said resident Patty Nifer, warning that exemptions for roundabouts and road narrowing would create new bottlenecks.
Those concerns were on full display at an October 1 community-led town hall at Del Oro High School, which drew a large crowd of residents.
The developer defended the project as the best-located site in South Placer for affordable housing, citing proximity to transit and available utilities.
The Hope Way Apartments remain under county review, and the October 16 Planning Commission hearing will likely be the next test of the project’s future. County officials have acknowledged residents’ concerns but point to state housing law, which limits their ability to reject projects solely based on local opposition.
