Expanding East Placer Workforce Housing Opportunities
Placer County is bringing forward some updates to East Placer housing programs in May and June to increase housing opportunities for the local workforce. Changes include expanding and removing income requirements for certain local worker programs and projects, incentivizing long-term rentals, and allowing moveable tiny houses.
Workforce Housing Preservation Program
County staff are seeking Board of Supervisors direction on proposed changes to the Workforce Housing Preservation Program (WHPP) on May 24. The WHPP is a down payment assistance program for local workers in which homebuyers can receive 16%, up to $150,000, of the purchase price of a home in exchange for deed restricting it so it can only be occupied by or sold to local worker households. Proposed changes include removing the 245% area median income requirements, allowing buyers who have owned homes in the last 12 months to enable more of our local workforce to be eligible, and allowing for employer purchases and employer contributions. Staff is also pursuing Board direction on a cash offer program option that would allow buyers to present as cash offers to better compete in the current market. Staff would return with revised program guidelines for Board adoption on June 28, the Board of Supervisors meeting in Tahoe.
Lease to Locals Program
The Placer County Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of a Lease to Locals program on June 28. The program would incentivize homeowners of second homes or short-term rentals to convert their homes to long-term rentals by providing grants to homeowners based on the number of employees renting the home. If approved, the program would begin August 1. The program would be run by Landing Locals, a Truckee-based company that has demonstrated success in Truckee and has expanded to City of South Lake Tahoe as well as other mountain communities in Summit County, Colorado.
New Income Limits
For our programs and projects that require household income limits, such as Hopkins Village, Meadowview Place, or WHPP, those income limits have been updated for 2022. For anyone who did not qualify previously, the income limits have risen so please check Placer County’s limits at https://www.hcd.ca.gov/docs/grants-and-funding/inc2k22.pdf to see if you qualify now.
Hopkins Village
Hopkins Village, a new for-sale housing development located in Martis Valley, is selling to the Tahoe-Truckee workforce. Forty units (20 half-plexes), each containing 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and a garage, will be constructed and sold entirely to local workers. The project is projecting the first round of units will be completed close to the end of the year. Units are still available. If interested, please apply online.
Housing Code Amendments
The Placer County Board of Supervisors will consider adoption of countywide housing amendments on June 14. The code amendments would allow more multifamily, mixed use and tiny houses. Proposed amendments to the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency code and the Placer County Tahoe Basin Area Plan are anticipated to carry forward those changes into the Tahoe Basin in the next year.
Please check Board of Supervisors agendas online and as always, public comment (verbal during the public comment time or written via email or mail) is always appreciated and valuable.
To find out more about East Placer housing opportunities, visit www.placer.ca.gov/tahoehousing.
