El Nido Motel transformed into Bird's Nest Supportive Housing Community

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - After receiving funds from the State of California Homekey program, the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) purchased three motels in South Lake Tahoe to be transformed into units for those experiencing homelessness.

One of those motels, the El Nido Motel, has been renovated and is now called the Bird's Nest supportive housing community, centrally located at 2215 Lake Tahoe Blvd.

The Bird's Nest now provides safe, affordable studios for 21 formerly homeless tenants. These residents were the most vulnerable in South Lake Tahoe, facing significant medical conditions and frequenting the hospital. Now they each pay rent, maintain their units, and work closely with TCH case managers to remain stable and housed. All units are now full.

TCH has launched its "Raise the Roof" capital campaign to offset more than $250,000 in construction costs.

There are two ways to contribute to the fundraiser:

Make a secure, tax-deductible online donation: www.charityweb.net/tahoehomeless/

Or, email TCH Executive Director Cheyenne Purrington at cheyenne@tahoehomeless.org to plan a targeted contribution.

When TCH purchased the property in late 2020, the nonprofit knew major renovations were necessary. They consulted with City staff to identify safety and compliance violations requiring immediate attention. Many units couldn’t meet general inspection standards and some didn’t even meet local fire code requirements. Quick action was needed to bring each unit up to code.

Some people had to be relocated from the former El Nido Motel where they were living as they did not fit the definition of homeless. TCH said they contacted local landlords to find comparable housing (price and size) for those tenants and paid for their relocation expenses. Once the motel was vacant, TCH renovated all major systems and unit interiors, plus a manager’s unit and office. The final result is safe, affordable housing with on-site services.

All donors will receive an invitation to the Bird's Nest Grand Opening celebration, tentatively scheduled for early June.