Guest Editorial

Nothing Ever Gets Done With Affordable Housing?

By City of South Lake Tahoe Housing Staff  

   It seems like we are constantly hearing about the need for affordable housing, but does anything ever get done in our community? Did you know that the City of South Lake Tahoe has three rental construction housing projects all at different stages of development that will provide a total of 77 units of new affordable housing for low and very low income persons and families?  It’s true!

   The project most likely to start construction this year is the Evergreen Apartments, which will be located at 1355 Melba Drive. The Evergreen Apartments will contain 24 two-bedroom units and 2 three-bedroom units with on-site management.  Construction is anticipated to commence at the start of the building season and, if all goes well, it should be available for occupancy by the end of 2005. 

   The next affordable housing project that may also start construction in 2005 is Emerald Bay Estates located at 750 Emerald Bay Road.  This project will contain 16 one-bedroom units and 2 two-bedroom units and is being designed to accommodate very-low income persons with disabilities.  All units will be accessible to persons with mobility impairments and rental rates will not exceed a maximum of 30% of a person’s income.  The project is being sponsored by Accessible Space and the Tahoe Area Coordinating Council for the Disabled. 

   The last project that the City is currently assisting with grant funding is the construction of the Tahoe Senior Plaza II to be located at 1447 Herbert Avenue on the corner of Pioneer Trail.  This project will contain 32 one-bedroom units and 1 two-bedroom unit for the on-site managers.  A person must have a very low income, less than $22,450, and be at least 62 years of age or older to qualify for a unit.  The developers of this project are American Baptist Homes of the West and the Tahoe Coordinating Council for the Disabled, who are the same organizations that constructed the original Tahoe Senior Plaza on Third Street back in 1999. 

   If you would like to be placed on the interest list for any of these projects or want to learn about existing affordable rental housing opportunities, please call city housing officials at: (530) 542-6047. 

STAR Fundraiser Benefits St. Joseph CLT

Last fall, the South Tahoe Association of Realtors (STAR) held a fund-raiser to assist Saint Joseph Community Land Trust with the development of the	Al Tahoe moderate-income demonstration home. More than $500 was raised at this South Tahoe Association of Realtors event.
South Tahoe Association of Realtors hosts fundraiser for SJCLT
FBI Special Agent Chris Campion conducts a SJCLT sponsored  Identity Theft workshop to a full room of participants   Informative Identity Theft Workshop
A workshop sponsored by the Saint Joseph CLT was led by Chris Campion of the FBI on January 25th. A number of people learned of different schemes that are in use to defraud individuals.	Those who attended left with a better understanding of how to protect them-selves from becoming future victims.    Thank you Chris Campion for the helpful information.