Attend ‘Yes to Granny!’: A performance raising awareness on housing challenges for seniors

In an effort to bring awareness to housing challenges, particularly for aging and senior residents, the City is inviting the community to attend a free artist performance called, 'Yes to Granny!'

The street performance will be Saturday, Aug. 10, between L and J streets at the Midtown Farmer's Market, 12:30-1:30 p.m. The performance will feature 12 actors, many from the City-sponsored Community Ambassador Program.

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), or 'granny flats,' have been on the rise in Sacramento, providing more housing options. The City issued 246 ADU permits in 2023.

Last year, the City was awarded a grant by the California Arts Council's Creative Corp program to place five local artists in various City departments to design creative engagement strategies. Angie Eng, one of the selected local artists, has been working with the City's Planning Division to creatively engage with residents in the areas of community development, housing and urban planning.

Encouraging ADUs meets the City's housing strategy, by focusing on expanding the housing stock and offering a wider range of housing choices to meet the needs of people at all life stages.

"I believe that art can help to elevate this discussion and play a role in influencing societal values around the topic of housing," said Eng. "Organized protests are a form of theater, and so one can consider 'Yes to Granny!' a demonstration."

The City's Community Development Department has been working to make it easier to build ADUs by developing an ADU Resource Center, free shelf-ready ADU permit plans, and hosting several ADU Resource Fairs.