Letter: Did they realize the Denny’s lights were off?

Opponents of Measure N argue that “now is not the time” to take action to protect our community, and that instead we should preserve the status quo. But this argument fails to grasp the reality of our situation: the status quo is a continually increasing rate of second home ownership, which will hollow out our community if it continues unchecked. We must take action to preserve what we love about South Lake Tahoe before it’s too late. That’s why I’ll be voting Yes on Measure N.

Without seeming to notice the irony, opponents protested our local affordable housing measure this past weekend in front of the former Denny’s, one of our town’s many shuttered businesses. Behind the protest, an unhoused man used the building’s awning for shelter.

Our reality is that we must work to preserve our vibrant, livable community before it slips away, following in the footsteps of hollowed-out mountain towns like Vail, Aspen and Tahoe’s North Shore. If the rate of second home ownership continues to increase unchecked, we won’t be able to support the institutions that make this town livable: our mechanics, dentists, schools, and favorite local businesses. Who gets their oil changed or teeth cleaned on vacation? Contributions to a community are measured in more than property taxes and trash collection bills.

Even our current vacancy rate is causing issues. The South Lake Tahoe Housing Element recognizes that “The Tahoe Basin’s supply of housing stock is used inefficiently” and that our housing shortage is caused by “its predominance of second home ownership.” 44% of all homes in the city sit empty for at least half the year.

The increase of empty second homes is squeezing out people who live in SLT, drastically affecting local businesses. In 2019, even before the COVID-related housing cost spike, nearly 50% of local employers reported someone declining or leaving a job because they couldn’t find suitable housing in the area.

This status quo doesn’t benefit our community. Measure N’s opponents are mostly second homeowners and real estate interests. Their organization is funded by the state and national Associations of Realtors, who have spent nearly a million dollars to influence the outcome of this local vote.

The Denny’s former owner cited a lack of local customers and difficulty in staffing in this high-cost-of-living area as two key factors in its closing. The protesters holding signs in front of this building’s dark windows seemed to miss the irony of opposing housing solutions at a business that desperately needed them.

Now is the time to imagine a vibrant future for ourselves and protect SLT from becoming another unaffordable, hollowed-out mountain town. Measure N will incentivize people to live here, play here, and spend money here. Let’s take action to preserve our thriving town while there is still something left to save. Vote Yes on Measure N.

- Francesca Behling, South Lake Tahoe Resident