NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - To most people, having a mother-in-law unit or guest house on their property would be considered a luxury, something not very common in the Tahoe region. But what if there were more guest houses built here, where local workers could live and thrive and contribute to our community?
It's something that Amy Meierotto, a third-grade teacher at Kings Beach Elementary wants to see happen. Meierotto, a mom with a young son, currently lives in a small rental unit. Her son sleeps in the bedroom, and she sleeps in the kitchen area. "I have taught third grade at Kings Beach Elementary for 20 years. I love this community. I am a part of this community, and I want to stay here. But as my son grows, we have no real future here without secure housing," says Meierotto.
Meierotto has tried the many housing programs available to her, but even with downpayment assistance and other incentives, she still cannot afford to purchase a home or find a larger long-term rental in the community she serves. That's why she's so interested in ADU's - or accessory dwelling units. She has been talking to her neighbors about the benefits of building an ADU on their property. It wouldn't just be a solution for her, she says. And ADU would add value to the homeowner's property and provide housing for local families like hers. "If one of my neighbors was able to add an ADU to their property, I might have the opportunity to live and raise my son in a small home right here in our community," she says.
It's no secret that California, and particularly the Tahoe Truckee region, is in a housing crisis. Thousands of rentals and for sale units are needed for local workers and families to keep our communities thriving. Building large-scale developments is challenging, costly and time consuming. That's where small-scale ADUs can provide a tiny solution to the big housing problem by sprinkling additional units into already existing neighborhoods.
Until very recently, it was difficult to build ADUs in the Tahoe area. But thanks to a slew of new California laws, all that has changed to encourage more ADU construction. It isn't an easy process to convert space in an existing home or build a detached ADU in Tahoe, but it's becoming easier.
The Tahoe Housing Hub has a new program called the ADU Accelerator Pilot Program that provides free technical and project management support from concept to completion. And if you're curious about building an ADU, now is the time to reach out. "Winter is the perfect time to connect with us to explore your options and get the ball rolling. We can help with design, permitting, choosing a contractor, and securing financing so that the project is ready to start construction in the spring," says Karolina Scarcia, Housing Development Project Manager at The Tahoe Housing Hub.
"Each unit built creates a chance for an individual or family, like Amy Meierotto and her son, to live and work locally. We recognize that ADUs alone won't solve our affordability challenges or the lack of diverse housing options that people want to live in, but they a meaningful step forward, offering real opportunities to house local teachers, utility workers, snowplow drivers, hospitality workers, and others who have no other choice but to relocate and commute," says Scarcia.
Meierotto says she's seen many of her colleagues at Kings Beach Elementary leave the area to find housing over the hill in Reno or Carson City. They try to make the drive back up to the school for work, but it usually only lasts a year or two. For Meierotto's part, she says she's hanging on in Kings Beach - for now. "I go through waves where I really believe I can hang on, but then reality hits and I think the only solution is to move to Reno. I think of it every night before I go to bed and every morning when I wake up."
If you are interested in learning more about how you can convert an existing space (like a rec room, storage, crawl space, etc.) into an ADU or build one on your property, reach out to the Tahoe Housing Hub's ADU Accelerator program. Contact tahoehousinghub.org, email info@tahoehousinghub.org, or call (530) 581-8711 to get connected with an ADU expert.