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Project Spotlight

The university’s first faculty and staff housing facility a major success

Less than one year after its opening, Nine Ten Place—Sacramento State University’s first apartment building for faculty and staff—has achieved 100% occupancy and has a waitlist. By offering housing dedicated for employees, Sacramento State distinguishes itself among California institutions as one of only a few to offer relocation support.

Launched in 2017 and opened in 2024, Nine Ten Place is a solution for new hires who need temporary housing as they relocate to the area. Faculty and staff may enter into leases for six months to a year, and leases can be extended to a maximum total lease term of two years. Units are offered at 10% below the area’s market rate and are designed to reduce living costs, which can hinder the university’s efforts to recruit a more diverse pool of highly qualified faculty and staff. And Nine Ten Place is located just across the bridge from campus.

Sacramento State recognizes that successful faculty recruitment goes beyond the job offer—it’s about creating pathways for seamless community integration. “About 90% of our faculty residents at Nine Ten Place are from out-of-state, and they arrive not knowing the region,” explains Carlos Nevarez, professor and interim MPP admin IV of academic affairs. “This housing initiative gives them the breathing room they need—one to two years to truly explore, connect, and make informed decisions about where to put down roots. We’re not just offering temporary housing; we’re investing in their long-term success and satisfaction.”

Nine Ten Place features 30 one- and two-bedroom apartments spanning three floors and 30,000 gross square feet. This ambitious $17 million project represents a successful partnership between multiple funding sources—California State University systemwide revenue bonds through the CSU Chancellor’s Office and Sacramento State’s UEI reserve funds—demonstrating the institution’s commitment to leveraging a variety of resources to create innovative solutions for faculty and staff housing.

Building upon this essential groundwork and the UEI team’s operational excellence, President Luke Wood‘s transformative leadership brought this collaborative vision to fruition.

“Ultimately, [Nine Ten Place] improves the overall quality of life for our faculty and staff…It increases productivity and job satisfaction,” said Nevarez. “It’s a statement of our values…we’re supporting a more vibrant, diverse and collaborative future for the university.”

As development advisors for the project, B&D helped carve the pathway for Sacramento State to reach their long-term strategic goals.

“Nine Ten Place is the latest success story in B&D’s long history of supporting higher education institutions in achieving their priorities and goals,” said Jeff Turner, co-president of B&D’s higher education practice group. “Sacramento State is on a mission to hire and retain the most talented faculty and staff in the nation. Nine Ten Place was a strategic build to achieve that mission.”

On behalf of Sacramento State:

Nine Ten Place represents years of visionary leadership and collaborative commitment across multiple administrations. The foundation for this innovative housing solution was established through the early recognition and advocacy of then-UEI Executive Director Jim Reinhart, then-President Robert S. Nelsen, and UEI’s Board of Directors, who identified the critical need for faculty and staff housing.

Under John Melikian’s strategic leadership, UEI transformed this foundational vision into operational reality—with key contributions from Patrice Griffith, Director of Real Estate Services, and Angela Rader, Director of Retail and Marketing Services—securing the property, assembling the design-build team, and expertly overseeing the entire development process in coordination with the university and CSU system