TRUCKEE, Calif. — Local leaders have approved a site for Truckee’s first Navigation Center, a yearlong pilot project designed to provide a range of services for the area’s unhoused population. The center is expected to open in early January, just as Sierra nights grow colder and winter settles in.

“I’ve witnessed time and again the transformation that happens when people are given access to the basics we all need,” said Cathie Foley, board member of Fellowship of Compassion, during public comment. “At the most basic level, these humans don’t die outside in our community. On a a deeper level, they rediscover hope, dignity, and the belief that change is possible — that their lives are valuable.”

The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Committee, a coalition of 11 local agencies and nonprofits, has spent the last months identifying a suitable location that meets community priorities: proximity to services and public transportation, distance from residential neighborhoods, and placement within Truckee’s commercial core.

After an extensive search, the property at 12315 Deerfield Drive — a former U-Haul office, Waldorf school and Sierra Sun newsroom — was identified as the only site that met all criteria and was available in time for a winter opening.

On Tuesday, the Truckee Town Council and Tahoe Forest Hospital District Board formally approved the site for the one-year pilot. The facility will include six year-round interim housing beds, 10 24/7 shelter beds, and drop-in day services for both residents and nonresidents. Weapons and drugs will be prohibited on-site, and security checks will be conducted upon entry.

The center will be professionally operated by Volunteers of America, one of the nation’s largest human services organizations. The organization, which serves more than 3,500 people nightly across Northern California and Nevada, currently operates navigation centers in Reno and El Dorado County.

“The truth is that housing directly impacts health,” said Travis Sandefur, Volunteers of America’s regional vice president of Northern Nevada and chief strategy and innovation officer. “If you are unhoused, you’re three and a half times more likely to die — it can take 20 years off your life. When you add 20 years to your own age, it’s a sobering thought.”

Sandefur explained that Reno’s pilot housing program produced dramatic results, including an 89% reduction in emergency room visits and a 91% drop in hospitalizations among participants.

To fund the pilot, TTHAC has requested contributions from multiple partners, including $360,000 each from the Town of Truckee, Tahoe Forest Hospital District and Nevada County, as well as $75,000 from Placer County and a $230,000 community fundraising goal launching Nov. 1, 2025. The Town of Truckee and Tahoe Forest Hospital District approved their contributions at Tuesday’s meeting.

According to Sandefur, the project’s high cost reflects the area’s elevated wages and cost of living, as well as the center’s 24/7 staffing requirements. He added that Volunteers of America plans to initially rely on support from its 250-person Reno workforce while recruiting and training staff from the Truckee-Tahoe region.

During public comment, some nearby residents voiced concerns about the proposed navigation center.

“I’m not sure this location is the right place,” said a Coldstream homeowner. “I’m concerned that day services will be provided for people who aren’t sleeping at the center. Where are they going to go at night? To our neighborhood — they’re going to sleep on our doorsteps.”

Others, however, spoke in support of the project.

“As a full-time resident of Coldstream, 250 feet from the planned Navigation Center, I am delighted to see the town and county supporting one piece of the puzzle to solve homelessness and deliver services to a population at risk in our community,” said Chris Taro.

During deliberation, Councilmember Courtney Henderson addressed neighborhood concerns.

“We’ve heard ‘not in my backyard’ for this and prior sites, but the question is, whose backyard? These are our neighbors — former coworkers, veterans, friends or even family members,” Henderson said. “The question isn’t whether they exist in our community; it’s whether we’ll help them stabilize or continue to cycle through our emergency rooms and police departments at a significantly higher societal cost.”

Town of Truckee council members and the Tahoe Forest Hospital District Board voted unanimously to approve the location and plans for the navigation center. According to the current project timeline, funding commitments are expected to be finalized by Oct. 28. Town staff have been directed to expedite tenant improvement permits to meet the target opening date. Once the lease is signed in December, furniture and equipment will be purchased, paving the way for an early January 2026 opening.

“We have a choice to make: We can govern from a place of fear of what we may lose, or from confidence in what we can build together,” said Henderson. “To me, the question isn’t whether we can afford it — it’s whether we can afford not to.”

The committee plans to evaluate the pilot’s progress after six months to determine whether the pilot Navigation Center proves effective for the Truckee community.