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Council to consider reshaping housing group

Greyson Howard
Sierra Sun

As tackling Truckee’s affordable housing issues becomes increasingly complex, the town is looking to an ad hoc working group for guidance.

In 2004 Truckee Town Council established the Affordable Housing Implementation Ad Hoc Working Group to study affordable housing issues and give recommendations to the town council. Now with an update of the town’s housing element looming, the town is recommending replacing that group with a Housing Advisory Work Group to tackle broader housing issues.

“The group started from scratch and found the best ways to implement affordable housing policies,” said Town Planner Duane Hall. “Now we’re changing the name to reflect what we’re recommending in also assisting staff on the housing element update ” not just affordable housing.”



The Affordable Housing Group has created three draft ordinances.

One set pricing and deed restrictions to make sure affordable housing stays affordable. Another set the affordable requirements for residential developments.



The last one, still in progress, could require commercial and industrial projects to include housing for some employees, Hall said.

“There is probably no better group to tee up the housing issue,” said John Falk, chair of the Affordable Housing Working Group. “There’s room for the group to be more broadly focused.”

Pat Davison, also a member of the group, said she agreed that it is a good time for the group to expand it’s responsibilities.

But because the Workforce Housing Association of Truckee Tahoe closed, no representative of the California Association of Business, Property and Resource Owners is in the working group, and no Latino community member is in the group, Hall said the group will be restructured.

“We’re recommending all the current members be re-appointed,” Hall said. “And we’d replace the WHATT position and Latino position with public spots, one geared towards Latinos.”

Currently the working group includes two council members, two planning commissioners, a representative from the Contractors Association of Truckee Tahoe, a representative from the Mountain Area Preservation Foundation, a representative from the Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors, a representative from the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce, and a developer.

“What we’re looking for in the public members are people who have demonstrated advocacy for housing in Truckee to try to provide that perspective,” Hall said.

Falk said he’d like to see new members in the group representing the community, and not necessarily the usual suspects that are often involved in such issues.

“There always seems to be the same group of folks that get roped in and are overburdened, it would be nice to get some fresh faces and new ideas mixed in,” Falk said.

Town council will consider dissolving the existing group and forming a new one at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 18, at Truckee Town Hall.

If town council decides to form the new group, people interested in joining can contact Duane Hall at 582-7700.


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