Placer County takes action to bring affordable housing to the region

Published on March 12, 2020

Placer County is making significant strides toward achieving its affordable housing goals according to a mid-year update of the county’s Housing Program Work Plan. The report was presented during this week’s meeting of the Placer County Board of Supervisors by Principal Planner Shawna Purvines with the Community Development Resource Agency.

Securing grant funding to assist with the construction of 135 affordable housing units in the Placer County Government Center is one of the most notable achievements to date along with purchasing the Nahas property near Tahoe City for a proposed achievable housing development. Completing a Housing Finance and Investment Strategy and establishing a Housing Stakeholders Group were also noteworthy accomplishments along with the adoption of a master plan for the Sunset Area and Placer Ranch development in West Placer.

“Placer County is committed to improving its inventory of affordable housing in our community,” said Board Chair Bonnie Gore. “Our goal is to ensure that families can remain in Placer County for many generations to come, which is why it’s vital we provide housing for new families starting out, for seniors downsizing and for those who enjoy multi-generational living.”

The presentation also included a status report on the county’s new Accessory Dwelling Units program which allows homeowners to build second and third dwellings on their properties. New state legislation that went in effect in January has reduced the number of restrictions on ADUs in an effort to encourage more development and the county has followed suit by developing its own incentive program that would provide homeowners with free permitted plans to save time and money. Purvines says an ADU online resource center will be available to the community by summer.

On a related topic, the Board of Supervisors voted to allocate $165,000 to a three-year agreement with the Mountain Housing Council of Tahoe Truckee. The organization has been working closely with 28 regional partners to coordinate efforts aimed at attracting achievable housing for permanent residents in the Tahoe Truckee region.

“It’s imperative we find creative ways to attract achievable housing to the region so that our permanent residents can live close to where they work and be part of the fabric of our community,” said District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson. “The Mountain Housing Council has been successfully spearheading a collaborative effort to attract housing and has become an excellent advocate. I’m pleased my fellow board members supported their request for funding.”