Join the Conversation on Workforce Housing in Incline Village and Crystal Bay
March 27, 2024 | Member Submitted
Submitted by IVCBA Community Engagement Liaison, Jonathon Gardner
The Incline Village Crystal Bay Community & Business Association (IVCBA) and United for Action invite you to engage in shaping Washoe Tahoe workforce housing solutions in 2024.
We are creating a speaker series that will discuss vital topics like ADUs, financing, and public-private partnerships to address our housing needs. Your input is crucial to identify preferred topics, meeting durations, and times. This collaborative effort aims to explore and implement effective housing strategies for our community that were developed by our community. Join us by sharing your perspectives through our survey, and help us create inclusive solutions for all residents. Your participation is key to our success.
In The News – Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Committee advances affordable housing policies to Dec. Governing Board meeting
November 20, 2023 | Member Submitted
Originally Published in The Tahoe Daily Tribune 11/20/2023, Submitted
Updates on Aquatic Invasive Species and Destination Stewardship also presented
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. – The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board Regional Planning Committee advanced policy changes on Wednesday designed to help create more affordable housing in the Tahoe Region. Following nearly two years of stakeholder and public input, the proposed housing amendments will now go before the full Governing Board for consideration at its December 13 meeting.
“The disparity between housing cost and affordability for local workers impacts Lake Tahoe’s environment and the fabric of our communities,” said TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan. “This crisis is affecting resort towns around the country and maintaining the status quo in workforce housing options is not acceptable.”
In The News – Washoe County Commissioners raise STR fees, discuss work to be done for the program
September 6, 2023 | Miranda Jacobson
Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 8/31/2023, Written by Miranda Jacobson
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev.— The Washoe County Board of Commissioners voted to increase fees related to short-term rentals in the county after it was revealed that Washoe County tax payers are currently subsidizing the STR program.
Standards and regulations were established for STRs in the county in 2021 after a two-plus year public interaction process. These standards address quality of life impacts, occupancy, safety, and other aspects of STRs that seemed to cause problems in local communities.
The initial fees that were set were based on future projections and “guesstimates,” leading to the expectation that staff would need to reassess the fees after the program was established. Issues that were identified with the program currently include the program being understaffed, meaning it does not operate at maximum efficiency, leading to delays in processing and responses. Additionally, Planning and Building Division Director Kelly Mullen explained during her presentation that general taxpayer dollars have been heavily subsidizing the STR program.
In The News – Affordable Housing in Incline Village sees progress with Acknowledgment of road map
July 15, 2023 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 07/15/2023, Staff Report
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev.— The 2023 Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership’s Housing Roadmap was officially acknowledge by the Washoe County Board of Commissioners at their meeting Tuesday, July 11.
The roadmap was presented by Tahoe Prosperity Center CEO Heidi Hill Drum, and outlines a partnership framework and range of priority goals and actions to address the needs of the community.
The roadmap is aimed at finding collaborate ways that stakeholders in the community, ranging from government to non-profit agencies to business owners, can come together and find ways to create affordable and workforce housing in Incline Village and Crystal Bay.
In The News: Millions in transformative housing grants awarded to the Lake Tahoe Region
July 10, 2023 | Member Submitted
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 07/10/2023, Submitted to Tribune
LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev.— Affordable housing in the Lake Tahoe region is getting a boost due to a $2.4 million from the California Department of Housing and Community Development awarded to the bi-state Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
With the assistance of regional government partners, the funding will help make housing, equity, and climate goals a central focus of land use and water quality programs, according to the TRPA.
As the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the basin, TRPA was also awarded a $567,000 grant through a related California program to advance housing choices, reduce vehicle miles traveled, and build upon the region’s sustainable communities strategy, a key transportation policy document.
In The News: TRPA approves amendment to area plan with serious mitigations, approve extension of beach shuttle
June 30, 2023 | Miranda Jacobson
Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune 06/30/2023, Written by Miranda Jacobson
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev.— Tahoe Regional Planning Agency governing board voted to approve the amendment to the Tahoe Area Plan in Incline Village’s Special Area 1, with serious mitigations to promote mixed-use development and achievable housing.
At their meeting Wednesday, June 28, the governing board heard a presentation from TRPA’s senior planner Jacob Stock, who explained the background of the need for an amendment before getting into the different mitigations that would be implemented.
“Our goal for these mitigation measures was to really implement existing policy that’s already in the area plan,” said Stock.
YOU’RE INVITED! Join us for a Home Repair/Improvement Fair
Your business is invited to participate in our upcoming Home Repair/Improvement Fair. The fair will be an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your services and connect with potential clients in Incline Village. And there’s no cost to participate – bring yourself and a table/tent/chairs and set yourself up in our parking lot.
As a contractor, you play a vital role in providing homeowners with exceptional services and helping them repair and transform their houses into beautiful homes. Our Vendor Fair aims to bring together reputable contractors like yourself, along with homeowners seeking professional services for their home repair/improvement projects.
Here are some key benefits of participating in the Vendor Fair:
Networking Opportunities: Connect with homeowners actively seeking contractors and build valuable relationships with potential clients.
Brand Exposure: Showcase your services and expertise to a targeted audience, increasing your visibility in the local market.
Collaboration Opportunities: Engage with other industry professionals, fostering potential partnerships and collaborations for future projects.
Marketing and Promotion: Take advantage of our extensive marketing efforts to promote the Vendor Fair and drive attendance, reaching a wide range of potential clients.
To reserve your booth or if you have any questions, please contact Kris Pollack at 925-683-2420 or kris.pollack@bhhsdrysdale.com. The deadline to sign up to participate is June 20. We have limited booth spaces available, so we encourage you to confirm your participation as soon as possible.
We look forward to your participation hope to see you on June 29th!
Workforce Housing is the single largest issue that afflicts our community, as well as being a crisis across the nation. It affects the viability of our local merchants and their ability to hire staff. We have seen problems keeping teachers and other professional workers, as well as service workers. With the high cost of fuel, commuting is often not a feasible option either. The toll this takes is both direct and indirect. We have all seen some of our favorite stores or restaurants close. Even owners of businesses have had to move to Reno or Carson. Indirectly, this results in a decline in the “Village vibe” that makes us all feel like one big happy family.
Under the auspices of the Tahoe Prosperity Center, and funding primarily from Washoe County, the Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership was formed. Three years ago, a housing study was conducted to quantify the need for housing in our region. Last summer, consultants were hired to formulate a roadmap. The Housing Partnership is comprised of key agencies including TRPA, Incline employers and local residents, selected for their interest or expertise in some aspect of the housing partnership. Committees are formed around housing programs, finance, community engagement, and development/redevelopment zoning and housing policies.
The WTHP mission: Accelerate local housing solutions for those who live and work in Washoe Tahoe.
The WTHP vision: A thriving vibrant community that has housing solutions to support our local residents, workforce and businesses.
The roadmap has a wealth of information, ideas, and recommendations; however, it is not an implementation plan. Now the hard work begins, determining the best solutions for Incline, together. What do we do next?
LEARN ABOUT THE ROADMAP!
Go to Tahoepropserity.org and click on the Projects tab for the pulldown menu to find Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership. You will find the roadmap here.
ATTEND THE CAB MEETING ON JUNE 5th
Commissioner Hill will be presenting the roadmap at this meeting of the Washoe County Citizen Advisory Board. Although you can attend in person at Incline Library, I recommend attending on Zoom. These meetings have a great format; there is a presentation, CAB members, all from our community ask questions and then open it up for public comment and questions. Join the meeting via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82231865379?pwd=TTF2M3FaSnR0bE9jQVA2Q1lJb2hqUT09
SIGN THE PLEDGE TO SUPPORT HOUSING!
This is not a request for a donation. It says that you support the work being done to find housing solutions. Commissioner Hill will ask the Board of Commissioners to approve the roadmap in July. Signing this pledge tells the commissioners that housing IS an important issue in our community, and we want to see Washoe County funding housing programs.
In The News: Incline, Crystal Bay receives roadmap for community housing solutions
May 30, 2023 | Member Submitted
Photo Credit: Washoe Tahoe Housing Partnership
Originally published with the Sierra Sun 05/25/2023.
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — 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. Sixty-five 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.
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/.
