Column: As Housing Shortages Increase, Local Employers Take Action

While many local groups have joined forces to develop housing for residents, the reality is that it takes time to build new housing. And time is what many of our local employers don't have right now as we head into summer. Faced with an immediate need to house their employees, employers have created their own solutions.

Many potential applicants eager for a summer job in Tahoe do not currently live here and are as of yet unaware of the difficulties of finding housing in our mountain community -- even if just for summer employment. The costs for rentals and home purchases in both the Tahoe Basin and the Carson City area are increasing, squeezing out low to moderate income earners in our region.

All too often employers have shared stories about hiring a strong applicant - who later had to cancel the contract because he or she couldn’t manage to find housing in time. Some employers joke that "do you have housing?" is one of the first questions asked in an interview - not those standard interview questions everyone comes to expect, such as “what are your strengths?”

Given this reality, some local employers have taken the housing component into their own hands. Though not a burden that an employer typically assumes, it may be what it now takes to run a strong business with good reliable employees.

On Tahoe's North Shore, small business owner Andrew Laughlin of Tahoe City Kayak last year went so far as to purchase apartment units to ensure he would have employees for the busy summer season. This year, the Hyatt recently purchased several single-family homes to house their employees. On the South Shore, several employers are experimenting with master leases and other options to find housing for their employees.

Vail corporation, for example, has master leases with two local motels in town. After a successful partnership renting out rooms during the winter season for two years from the American Conservation Exchange (who are only here in summer), Vail agreed to try this approach with a full-year master lease this year. Vail worked with the owner of Bear's Den Inn at Lake Tahoe Boulevard and Tahoe Keys Boulevard to upgrade the units to accommodate full-time occupants. As of last fall, Vail now rents the entire space full-time and the partnership has been very successful.

Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) Board of Trustees just approved a master lease option on a 5-unit apartment near Ski Run this May. Located close to services and transportation, the apartment will provide housing for full-time students and one on-site college residential adviser. While the college’s long-term goal is still to provide on-campus housing, the lease offers an immediate, affordable solution for students enrolled this September. LTCC also developed a home-stay option for its students this coming year and will be exploring options for an on-campus tiny home village concept for future years.

Julie Lucksinger of Lake Valley Properties has facilitated this master lease approach with Caltrans, Marriott and a local non-profit. As the property manager, she helps ensure the arrangement works for both the employer as well as the property owner, keeps an eye on the property and manages any maintenance needs.

This growing interest in master leases has helped spur the creation of Tahoe Home Connection. This program, developed by citizen group Progress for Tahoe and several local property managers matches local employers or individual employees with homeowners who use their homes rarely or seasonally. Based on successful programs in Summit County, Colorado and Whistler, BC, the program provides homeowners with a streamlined, low-risk option to earn income from their vacant properties. The program offers multiple benefits to entice homeowners including: reduced property management fees, vetting of renters, flexible, negotiated rental agreements, and resources for updating their home in preparation for rental. The program is currently reaching out to homeowners through a postcard mailer and has an online survey for interested homeowners at www.tahoehomeconnection.com.

Innovation in housing is key and there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution. We are proud of our local Tahoe businesses that are spurring a new, successful chapter in the ongoing Tahoe housing story.

Rebecca Bryson is a South Lake Tahoe resident and long-time advocate for affordable housing in the area.