Incline Village/Crystal Bay Receives New Roadmap for Community Housing Solutions
May 29, 2023 | Member Submitted
Media Contacts: Washoe County Commissioner Alexis Hill, ahill@washoecounty.gov, 775-447-3017 Heidi Hill Drum, CEO Tahoe Prosperity Center, heidi@tahoeprosperity.org, 530-545-9095
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 22, 2023
Incline Village, Nev. (May 22, 2023) – Every community member has experienced it as they move about daily life here in Tahoe – reduced days and hours at a favorite restaurant, help wanted signs in every store window, long lines at the grocery store and post office. What isn’t always obvious, is that those same impacts are affecting critical behind-the-scenes members of the workforce. Ninety-eight percent of Incline/Crystal Bay firefighters do not live here. The school district and hospital struggle to attract teachers, doctors and nurses who can live in the local community. 65-percent of the workforce in Incline/Crystal Bay drives from outside the basin every day to get to work, clogging roads and filling limited available parking. The primary reason for it all is the lack of local housing available and affordable to a wide range of income levels.
The issue has been analyzed, studied, discussed and disputed for many years with little to no progress. Today, the Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership is releasing a Housing Roadmap that provides reasonable options and solutions to improve housing options. The Housing Roadmap was developed over the course of the past year and with participation and input from a wide range of community stakeholders. “We believe that the people who work here are a part of the fabric and vibrancy of our community. They deserve to live here and thrive here just like the rest of us,” says Kathie Julien, Incline Village resident.
“The lack of workforce housing has had a major impact on our community. Addressing these issues is critical. I applaud the many agencies, businesses and organizations that form the Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership. The roadmap offers a range of short and long term solutions from which the community can choose,” says Linda Offerdahl, Executive Director of the Incline Village Crystal Bay Business Association.
The Housing Roadmap takes a multi-year phased approach to the housing solutions it offers. The first phase is already in the early stages through discussions with a local business that provides financial incentives to homeowners who offer long-term rental opportunities to local workers.
This idea is just one of many proposed strategies that takes a long-term approach to solving the housing crisis. The Roadmap’s success depends on the input and participation of the community. To learn more and to get involved, https://tahoeprosperity.org/wthp/.
About Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership: At its core, the WTHP is about community. Their work is focused on keeping Incline Village and Crystal Bay a vibrant, thriving place for families and individuals, visitors, businesses and the local workforce. WTHP’s goal is to accelerate housing solutions for local workers. Solving the dire housing situation is directly connected to issues such as traffic and congestion, keeping local businesses open, maintaining strong local schools and ensuring critical services like the hospital, fire and safety are all very much in place. The Partnership is a volunteer group of local individuals, agencies, non-profits, businesses, faith and service-based organizations. WTHP values the unique and amazing community of Incline Village and Crystal Bay. They firmly believe that by coming together as a community, the housing challenges can be solved. More information visit https://tahoeprosperity.org/wthp/.
