Tourism-generated funding is helping to address one of North Lake Tahoe’s urgent needs

TAHOE CITY, Calif. – To address North Lake Tahoe’s workforce housing challenges, the North Tahoe Community Alliance is leveraging tourism-generated funding to support initiatives to unlock more housing options for local workers. In partnership with Placer County through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program, nearly $9M has already been invested in housing initiatives that are helping people secure housing in the community.

“Because of the TBID, our community has the ability to reinvest more tourism-generated funding than has previously been available for the benefit of all who live, work, and visit North Lake Tahoe,” said Tony Karwowski, NTCA president and CEO. “Our local workforce is not only essential, they are the fabric of our community. That’s why we’re focused on leveraging TOT and TBID funds to support projects and programs that are addressing the urgent need for more workforce housing options.”

The TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program provides opportunities to invest in short-, medium- and long-term initiatives. Some of the short-term programs getting people into homes as quickly as possible include:

• Lease To Locals is a Placer County program that offers cash incentives to homeowners to rent their homes to the local workforce, keeping rental costs down. The program has helped over 250 North Tahoe/Placer County residents find places to live since its inception.

• Sierra Community House works with landlords and utility companies to help members of the local workforce attain and retain housing. To date, the nonprofit has helped over 100 families with rental assistance so they can stay in their homes, utility assistance, and resource navigation services that enable local families to retain their housing. These are families who directly contribute to North Lake Tahoe’s essential workforce without whom the community would become unlivable for everyone.

Medium-term projects generate new housing or support unmet needs and include:

• Placer County’s Workforce Housing Preservation Program provides direct financial support to local homebuyers and has assisted in the purchase of 13 properties, with an average of over $110,000 per property.

• Tahoe Housing Hub’s ADU Accelerator program helps local homeowners navigate the entire process of building an ADU to house members of the local workforce from site feasibility through contractor negotiations. There are now 39 completed applications, with the goal of 20 new units built within two years.

Long-term projects will result in the construction of new housing for members of the local workforce. One example is Dollar Creek Crossing. Following a financial feasibility study discussion, the Placer County Board of Supervisors recently approved its staff to move forward with the design of a fully affordable housing development plan on a portion of the Dollar Creek Crossing site in North Lake Tahoe. The County will now move forward with a developer agreement to complete the planning, design and construction of the fully affordable project.

“All of these housing solutions have been put forward from our community and have received funding through the TOT-TBID Dollars At Work program,” continued Karwowski. “We’re actively seeking other projects and programs to support that can help provide members of the North Tahoe workforce with local housing options.”

The NTCA’s next Annual Grant Cycle launches in August, and project proponents with workforce housing ideas in need of funding are encouraged to apply for funding. Learn more about the workforce housing projects and programs that have received funding here.