Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless begins move-ins at purchased motels

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) successfully purchased El Nido Motel using some of the awarded Project Homekey funding. The property will provide much-needed affordable housing and supportive services for the most vulnerable local seniors, people with disabilities, and others at high risk of cold exposure and COVID-19 illness. The first client move-ins began last week, including medically fragile seniors who were living unsheltered in our community for many years. The organization’s primary focus is providing life-saving shelter to our most vulnerable neighbors facing homelessness and helping to solve the housing crisis in the South Shore area.

During the purchasing process, TCH was made aware of spaces occupied within a motel property that were not permitted for habitation, including the office, a communal kitchen, and a management unit.

As soon as TCH became aware of the situation, the team reached out to the occupants to facilitate their smooth transition to safe, legal units, either on-site or in a comparable unit at another location. Our outreach includes relocation assistance to secure a comparable legal unit, moving costs, and supportive services. TCH is confident that we will be able to assist these households in relocating to safe, legal housing. We have no intention of displacing occupants without a solid plan for relocation.

TCH is working closely with all program partners and occupants to assess vulnerability and income. Occupants who meet the income requirements for low-income housing and are at risk of homelessness will be allowed to stay and participate in this program. For those who are over the government-mandated income thresholds, TCH is providing assistance to relocate into comparable units, in accordance with government regulations. Many of the applicants to our Project Homekey program are vulnerable seniors, persons with disabilities, and veterans all facing homelessness.

The South Shore community has long since rallied around the Coalition’s work in The Warm Room, the area’s only emergency shelter. Each winter, hundreds of volunteers dedicate thousands of service hours to help save lives and warm hearts. The Coalition’s staff team worked tirelessly through the initial onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to implement a bold strategy that protected vulnerable clients, first responders, and the broader community from exposure and illness. That approach paid off, and the Coalition has helped a number of frail seniors and people with serious health conditions access safe shelter, maximize benefits, and secure long-term affordable housing. This past winter is the only winter in recent memory where one of our unsheltered community members hasn’t died of exposure. .
With Project Homekey, Tahoe has a rare opportunity to reduce suffering from COVID-19 while creating a positive, lasting impact in the lives of our most vulnerable community members. Ensuring that everyone in our community has access to safe housing and supportive services will also save millions from local budgets, prevent negative impacts to sensitive ecological areas, and create safer, happier
neighborhoods for all of us. The Tahoe Coalition for the homeless is an equal opportunity organization and we are working quickly to process all the requests of support we are receiving from community members under threat of homelessness.

To learn more about the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless, please visit www.tahoehomeless.org. To learn more about the Homekey funded projects, please visit https://bcsh.ca.gov/homekey/ .