In late 2018, four North Tahoe-Truckee Special District leaders gathered during a break at a
Mountain Housing Council meeting to discuss how they could work together to accelerate housing
opportunities for their employees. How could they ensure that the nearly 2,000 essential workers that they represent: teachers, nurses, doctors, airport personnel, linemen, janitors, administrators, and beyond, can continue to be able to live where they work?
A year of brainstorming and development led to what is known today as the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency (TTWHA), a Joint Powers Agency with the sole mission of providing housing to the employees of the four founding member agencies: Tahoe Forest Hospital District, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Truckee Donner Public Utility District, and Truckee Tahoe Airport District.
Founded in 2020, the agency is working to provide both physical housing and housing programming to the employees it supports. The agency is legally structured to pursue the leasing, buying, and development of housing units, and was built to welcome additional public agency partners throughout the region. The innovation around the creation of TTWHA, the first housing JPA in California, speaks to the commitment to, and urgency of, developing housing solutions for the people that make up the fabric of this community: the local workforce.
“We understand the challenges employees face in finding stable housing, and see the direct effect it has on their overall satisfaction and quality of life. TTWHA’s focus will be on responding to the needs of our workforce and improving access to housing opportunities.” said Harry Weis, Tahoe Forest Hospital President/CEO and TTWHA Board Chair.
July 1 marks the launch of the agency’s first program, a partnership with Landing Locals, that will connect TTWHA member agency employees with second-home owners for long-term leasing opportunities. Kevin Smith, Truckee Tahoe Airport District General Manager and TTWHA Vice Chair shared that “The program with Landing Locals is an exciting one and allows us to begin to unlock housing immediately. This is one of many options we’ll provide to respond to our employees’ housing needs.” Homeowners interested in participating in the program can reach out to Landing Locals through www.landinglocals.com/JPA.
In addition to the partnership with Landing Locals, the agency is currently researching the master leasing of housing units, and exploring opportunities with the development community. Additional housing programs through TTWHA will continue to be implemented based on the results of an employee housing needs survey that is currently being circulated.
