TRUCKEE, Calif. – `While the Truckee-Tahoe region might not have the same struggles as a big city like San Francisco or Los Angeles in terms of the unhoused population (ours is in the hundreds rather than the thousands), it doesn’t make our population any less important to address and help.

A group of community leaders and organizations in Truckee and North Tahoe have joined together to form a coalition to tackle the unhoused issue. 

The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Advisory Committee of the Homeless Resource Council of the Sierras, supported by the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF), is chaired by Nevada County Supervisor Hardy Bullock, Placer County Supervisor Cindy Gustafson, and Truckee Vice Mayor Jan Zabriski. 

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“TTHAC is working to create caring, innovative and community strategies to help people who don’t have stable housing. The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Advisory Committee is working to create caring, innovative and community strategies to help people who don’t have stable housing,” said Kristina Kind, Program Director, TTCF. 

The coalition members are looking to their counterparts in the South Shore to see how support and shelter services are provided in a community similar to theirs. 

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Last month, members from the Truckee-North Shore met with the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and other community leaders, including City Manager Joe Irvin, city housing staff, and South Lake Tahoe Police Chief David Stevenson. 

According to Kind, “The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless started offering an emergency warming shelter around the same time as we did in Truckee. Since then, they have expanded their services in ways that we found inspiring and informative. We wanted to learn from their experiences, gather valuable insights, and identify any replicable strategies that could help us better serve our North Tahoe Truckee community.”

Kimberly Peterson, Chief Operating Officer at Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, who came to the position from Sacramento, believes solving the unhoused crisis, or having functionally zero unhoused, in South Lake Tahoe is an attainable goal. 

“Functional zero means that everyone is housed and everyone who comes into the system automatically has a shelter bed or somewhere to go, so you essentially have no one on the by-name list,” said Peterson. 

TCH owns and operates three motel properties that provide housing and supportive services. They also provide other services such as access to essentials care items, system navigation support and access to basic resources. 

During the visit, coalition members were able to pick Peterson, and other attendees’ brains about solutions, possible hurdles and any other questions they had about the services offered in South Lake Tahoe. 

“The visit helped us think differently about understanding what community members need and when, and how we can best help,” said Kind.  

“The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless’ “Housing First” approach to addressing homelessness, which emphasizes providing individuals experiencing homelessness with stable and permanent housing that they can rely on, without the need to pack up their belongings every morning or wonder where they are going to sleep the next night, has led to significantly reduced homelessness rates, emergency room visits, and police calls related to homelessness, highlighting potential benefits for our community,” she added. 

TCH has had some success in their housing first approach. 

According to the Point-In-Time Count, there has been an 80% decrease in unsheltered homelessness. Additionally, 50 community members are now in permanent housing. 

“It was interesting to hear that Eastern El Dorado County and the City of South Lake Tahoe are facing similar challenges with housing opportunities as we are in Truckee. Their team has found shelter options that not only meet their needs but also fit well with their community. As a member of the Tahoe Truckee Homeless Advisory Committee, we are looking forward to continuing our collaboration to find sustainable solutions to meet the sheltering needs at a local level,” said Truckee Police Chief Danny Renfrow. 

The group also toured all three motel properties with TCH. 

“I was impressed with the three locations we visited.  The energy and vision of the Chief Operating Officer have been the driving force behind these shelter options for the unhoused coming to fruition.  Additionally, the collaborative role of the City of South Lake Tahoe in removing barriers to housing and enabling older properties to be repurposed has been a key to this success story,” said Ted Owens, Tahoe Forest Health Systems Executive Director Governance/Business Development.

Kind said after the visit, “Our group left with a new perspective on how to provide shelter for community members and will take these learnings into future planning.”

“We are grateful to the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless for sharing their journey with us and to the City of South Lake Tahoe for being a thoughtful partner in their work,” Kind added.

To learn more about homeless services in North Lake Tahoe Truckee, visit the North Tahoe Truckee Homeless Services’ website. 

To get involved with the Tahoe Truckee Homeless Advisory Committee, contact Kind at kristina@ttcf.net.