TRUCKEE, Calif. – As part of California’s excess sites designation, Pacific Crest Commons represents another critical affordable housing project for the town of Truckee. It also will mark the second project with supportive housing in the region, and the first for Truckee.

Pacific Crest Commons, like Sugar Pine Village in South Lake Tahoe, is on land designated as an excess state property that could be used for building affordable housing. It was formerly a California Highway Patrol site, and will now house 54 units in total, with 10 supportive housing units. 7 units will also be mobility and sensory accessible.

The site has a view of the Pacific Crest, which is part of how its name won out in the naming contest they held. It was funded through a public-private partnership and a blend of state and local sources, including tax credit financing and contributions from the Town of Truckee, Martis Fund, Nevada County, and the Sutter Yuba Housing Authority.

The 10 supportive housing units were funded through the No Place Like Home program and will be managed by the Nevada County Department of Behavioral Health. For people to qualify for supportive housing, they must actively be in a behavioral health program—but it will ensure that they remain housed for as long as needed. Brown Bear Housing, which is in Kings Beach, also offer supportive housing and was the first in the region.

In a press release, Jan Zabriskie, Mayor of Truckee and chair of the Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Coalition (TTHAC), said, “I was excited to see the Pacific Crest Commons project go vertical this past week with the setting of the modular units… This really is a great step forward towards providing housing for those that also need more support and services.”

Truckee currently has nearly 800 affordable housing units, working towards a major goal of closing the housing gap, especially for those at 80% or below of the area median income.

Because the site utilizes modular construction, the construction is expected to finish and be occupancy-ready by summer of next year. The next steps include laying down curbs and asphalt, as well as finishing the roofing, so internal work can continue throughout the winter.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.