Placemate's program helps Truckee workers find affordable housing

CBS News

03-04-2025

TRUCKEE — Finding affordable housing in the Tahoe region has become nearly impossible for those who work there.
With the rising costs of homes in places like Truckee, local workers are being priced out. But new programs are helping to change that.
Richard Baker has lived in Truckee for the last eight years, but for the past year, it's the Hopkins Village community that he has called home.
"Everyone in this neighborhood works here — all age groups, a lot of children, many, many dogs," Baker said with a laugh.
He and his wife rented before moving there.
Now, they're homeowners, which is something that wouldn't have been possible without a program that reserves these homes for people who live and work in Truckee.
"The housing stock has reduced for local residents because it is unaffordable," said Heidi Hill Drum, the executive director of the Tahoe Prosperity Center.
Drum said that more and more homes are being bought up by people who only visit a few times a year. That means fewer homes for locals and higher prices.
"When a community doesn't have local residents living in it full time, the fabric of the community is missing," Drum said.
It's her goal to stitch it back together, advocating for projects like Hopkins Village.
"The Tahoe Prosperity Center's role is to present data and information to get them to make the right policy choices that encourage more local housing for residents," Drum said.
Isaac Landman shares the same mission. He's the operation manager for Placemate, a housing marketplace contracted by the town of Truckee that connects vacation homeowners with local workers seeking long-term rentals.
As a Truckee resident himself, Landman understands the importance of affordable housing.
"I think housing is key to keeping a community whole," he said.
Placemate's Lease to Locals program
helps bridge the gap by giving property owners financial incentives to rent to local workers long-term, up to 12 months.
The funding comes from the Town of Truckee's general fund and Measure K.
"Getting to work on our housing in this area is kind of like work to maintain the community that I am also a part of and that's really special to me," Landman said.
For people like Baker, it's projects like these that make owning a home in the Sierra a reality.
"It's very quiet. It's a beautiful neighborhood," Baker said.