Hundreds of affordable housing units being built in South Lake Tahoe
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE — Hundreds of affordable housing units will be open soon in South Lake Tahoe.
The area currently has limited housing options for mid-to-lower income families, forcing many people to leave the area. As a result, experts say, the local economy is suffering.
Businesses are struggling to hire workers, forcing some restaurants to adjust their hours due to low staff. To combat the problem, more than 240 affordable units will be built due to a grant through the state's affordable housing program signed by Gov. Newsom in 2019.
It will be called Sugar Pine Village and will be located near the corner of Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tata Lane.
The first phase will focus on 68 units for people with 30-60 percent of the state's median income. Jill Teakell, a realtor for Compass, says some locals are unable to afford to live in the area; some are forced to move to places like Carson City or Reno.
"Market-rate housing has gone up enough that people are forced to pay it as long as they can, and then they often have to move after five or six months because they can no longer manage the rent they're trying to hit."
Teakell says this new housing project won't solve the problem but is a step in the right direction.
Construction for phase one is set to begin next spring.
