Originally published in Washoe Life, 1/28/2026, Written by Bethany Drysdale

Washoe County and the Nevada Division of Insurance are hosting a community meeting for residents concerned about changes to homeowners insurance as it relates to wildfire. 

During the 2025 Nevada Legislative Session, laws were enacted that impact how insurance companies may assess wildfire risk, potentially affecting insurance availability, coverage, and premium rates for some homeowners. 

Nevada Insurance Commissioner Ned Gaines will present an overview of the new law and how it pertains to homeowners in fire-prone areas of Washoe County, as well as how insurers may implement the provisions, and what resources are available to homeowners. 

Following the presentation, representatives from Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District and Washoe County Emergency Management will be available to discuss wildfire preparedness and risk-reduction efforts.  

“Wildfire happens frequently in our area, and every resident should understand the threat and how they can help protect themselves and their family,” Emergency Manager Kelly Echeverria said. “We are proud to partner with the State of Nevada to provide this important forum for education and dialogue with residents.”   

The event will be held at 5:30 p.m. on February 24 at the Washoe County Administration Complex at 1001 E. 9th Street, Building A, in the Commission Chambers. Homeowners are invited to bring their questions and meet with state and local experts on wildfire prevention, suppression, and insurance issues.  

Bethany Drysdale

Communications Manager
775-313-8582
bdrysdale@washoecounty.gov

Originally published in Tahoe Living Newsletter, 1/22/2026

Addressing housing affordability in the Tahoe Basin is a key priority for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) as we begin 2026. Through the Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin project, TRPA has spent the past year and a half working with the public, partners, and stakeholders to develop a housing policy proposal grounded in environmental protection.

The project is now entering the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) phase, which will study how proposed housing policies can meet community housing needs while continuing to protect the Tahoe Basin.

Stay engaged and help spread the word.

Note: The Long Range Planning Team has recently been reformulated into the Long Range Planning Department. Stay tuned for future updates from us on this department’s role in the agency and in environmental planning at Lake Tahoe.

–Long Range Planning Department

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 1/9/2026, Written by Eli Ramos

Winter is usually the time when people in the basin think about homelessness—it’s when the risks are highest for those who are unhoused and when operations like warming centers are the most critical. But year-round, organizations like Sierra Community House and the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless as well as others provide critical services to those in most need.

Part 1 of this feature covered what homelessness looks like in the Tahoe Basin and how homelessness services collect data. Now, we’ll cover what services are available to unhoused people and what changes are on the horizon for them.

READ MORE >

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Written by Maria Palma KUNR, 12/24/2025

Housing affordability has long been a challenge in the Lake Tahoe region, and a new survey is now putting hard numbers behind what many residents experience every day.

Earlier this year, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), in partnership with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, surveyed people who live and work in the Greater Lake Tahoe region. The goal was to better understand how housing and transportation challenges are affecting daily life in the basin.

The survey included more than 40 questions and was offered in both English and Spanish. Organizers also worked with local nonprofit organizations to reach people who are often underrepresented or left out of traditional surveys.

READ MORE >

Originally published in the TRPA newsletter 12/19/2025

The Van Sickle Bi-State Park on Lake Tahoe’s South Shore is getting park ranger housing, and accessory dwelling units are now allowed on more properties following Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board approvals this Wednesday.

“Throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin, momentum on affordable housing is continuing to build as organizations and individuals work to ensure Lake Tahoe’s environment and communities can thrive together,” TRPA Executive Director Julie Regan said. 

The Board approved a project by Nevada Division of State Parks at the Van Sickle property to construct a maintenance shop plus two deed-restricted housing units for park staff. Van Sickle Bi-State Park is a 725-acre, day-use park co-managed by the California Tahoe Conservancy that offers hiking trails, scenic views, picnic areas, and historic ranch buildings steps away from the busy state line area of Tahoe’s South Shore. Having affordable housing on site will help park rangers and reduce vehicle miles traveled.

The Governing Board also adopted amendments to the Washoe Tahoe Area Plan for Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Nevada to allow accessory dwelling units on properties less than one acre in size. The housing incentives incorporated into the plan, originally approved in 2023, encourage more affordable units near transit and services to help reduce traffic and support water quality improvements through environmental redevelopment.

The Board’s action on accessory dwelling units brings consistency to both sides of the lake and allows all local governments in the basin to consider allowing them on residential parcels smaller than one acre. Resort communities across the country are incentivizing these types of granny flats or backyard cottages as a strategy to address housing affordability, according to TRPA.

Caption: An illustration of the Nevada Division of State Parks employee duplex approved for Van Sickle Bi-State Park.
Credit: Nevada Division of State Parks

Published on YouTube – TRPA Channel

Summary — TRPA Housing Presentation (Advisory Planning Commission, Dec 10, 2025)

Context & Initiative

• The presentation was part of TRPA’s ongoing housing policy work under the initiative “Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin.” SnowBrains
• This is a multi-year regional planning effort to address the Lake Tahoe housing crisis while protecting environmental goals like water quality and growth limits. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

Key Goals of the Housing Policy Discussion

The staff presentation to the Advisory Planning Commission likely covered:

1. Housing Challenges in the Tahoe Basin
   • Local workers and families are increasingly priced out of housing.
   • Many workers commute into the region, increasing traffic, emissions, and environmental impacts. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
2. Overview of the “Cultivating Community” Policy Process
   • The initiative explores updating land-use policy and the growth management system to promote affordable and workforce housing without weakening environmental protections. SnowBrains
   • It builds on previous phases like accessory dwelling unit (ADU) incentives and deed-restriction monitoring programs. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
3. Draft Policy Directions (Likely Covered in Presentation)
   While I can’t view the exact slides, TRPA’s published draft policy ideas include: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency• Development Rights Reform
   • Options to scale required development rights based on unit size/impact, so large homes cost more rights and smaller, workforce housing costs fewer.
   • Alternatives could reduce or internalize rights for small ADUs or multi-family units.
   • Fees & Mitigation Costs
   • Exploring scaled mitigation fees based on environmental impact, potentially lowering fees for small workforce units and raising them for large homes.
   • Land Coverage & Standards
   • Looking at coverage requirement tweaks to make it easier to build smaller, multi-unit housing while maintaining water-quality protections.
   • Missing Middle Housing
   • Options to allow duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes in more neighborhoods as part of broader regional plan updates.
   • Local Government Flexibility
   • Increasing local adoption of incentives and standards that support multi-family and workforce housing.
4. Public Engagement & Next Steps
   • The Dec 10 advisory commission presentation was one step in gathering feedback before the Jan 28, 2026 Governing Board hearing to initiate the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for these housing policy recommendations. SnowBrains
5. How Environmental Protection Fits In
   • TRPA emphasizes maintaining current growth limits and water quality protections while finding ways to support housing — a principal theme of “Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin.” Tahoe Regional Planning Agency

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The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is calling on community members, nonprofits, and partner agencies to continue sharing ideas and provide feedback on how to incentivize housing that is affordable while protecting Lake Tahoe’s unique environment. See the next box for more details on the draft proposal. 

Upcoming hearings:Wednesday, December 10 – Advisory Planning Commission (APC) public meeting and APC workshop on Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin policy recommendations.

Wednesday, January 28 – The TRPA Governing Board will consider an action to move the Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin proposed policies forward for analysis in an environmental impact statement (EIS) to be conducted next year.

Wednesday, February 11 – APC will hold an environmental scoping meeting for the Cultivating Community, Conserving the Basin EIS.

Community members can submit written comments in advance to publiccomment@trpa.gov, or attend any of the meetings virtually or in person to provide comments during designated public comment periods. 

Calendar of Events

Originally published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 12/04/2025, Written by Katelyn Welsh

After a gamut of increasing premiums and a notice of non-renewal, the McCloud Condo Association in Incline Village ventured to try something new this year when it came to insurance. The result yielded a 33% premium reduction.

The association worked with RockRose Risk, a new company within this last year that is redefining how property coverage works in high-risk areas.

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Photos: McCloud – provided by RockRose Risk

Originally Published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune, 11/19/2025, Written by Eli Ramos

On Monday, St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church officially launched The Sally Fund, a community effort that will provide flexible funding to Sierra Community House and Tahoe Family Solutions. Named after longtime Tahoe resident Sally Jane Hammel, the fund will provide housing assistance and rapid re-housing to those in need.

Sally Jane Hammel was a Tahoe resident for over 30 years and was a member of St. Patrick’s as well as a U.S. Postal Service worker. When she died in 2020, she willed her condo to the church, and a portion of her gift is the seed money for the fund.

Senior Warden at St. Patrick’s Connie Skidmore said, “We wanted the love in her house to live on for others.”

READ MORE >