A long-standing conflict between residents of the Palms Apartments, their corporate landlord, and Sacramento County officials has intensified in recent months, highlighting the challenges of preserving affordable housing amid deferred maintenance, fire damage, and redevelopment plans.
The Palms Apartments, a 48-unit complex on Marconi Avenue, became a flashpoint after a January 2024 fire destroyed roughly half the property and left other units in disrepair. The blaze, which affected about 20 units and sent at least one person to the hospital, forced many residents from their homes and left parts of the building boarded up.
As county officials cite ongoing code enforcement and a new owner promises rehabilitation, the fate of the Palms Apartments underscores a broader struggle over whether aging, low-rent housing can be preserved — or whether vulnerable tenants, especially seniors and people with disabilities, are pushed out of one of the region’s last affordable footholds with few realistic alternatives…