HomeMy WebLinkAbout8 Attachment 1 - TTWHA Employee Housing Study_FINALTTWHA
Employee Housing Needs Study
Wendy Sullivan, WSW Consulting, Inc.
South Lake Tahoe, CA
wendy@wswconsult.com
Prepared by:
September 2020
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................................... 1
REPORT CONTENT ......................................................................................................................................................... 1
METHODOLOGY ........................................................................................................................................................... 2
SUMMARY AND OBSERVATIONS .......................................................................................................................... 4
THE ISSUE ................................................................................................................................................................... 4
EMPLOYEE HOUSING PROBLEMS ...................................................................................................................................... 4
RECRUITING CONCERNS ................................................................................................................................................. 5
HOUSING PROGRAM PREFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 6
EXISTING HOUSING ASSISTANCE ...................................................................................................................................... 7
OBSERVED NEEDS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 8
MENU OF OPTIONS ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
EMPLOYMENT, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION ................................................................................................ 11
TTWHA MEMBER EMPLOYMENT .................................................................................................................................. 11
UNFILLED JOBS ........................................................................................................................................................... 11
COMMUTING ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
EMPLOYEE RECRUITMENT AND TURNOVER ...................................................................................................................... 13
Recruiting challenges ........................................................................................................................................ 14
Recruiting strategy ............................................................................................................................................ 14
Turnover and Housing ....................................................................................................................................... 15
Cost of Recruiting and Turnover ........................................................................................................................ 15
RETIRING EMPLOYEES .................................................................................................................................................. 15
EMPLOYEE HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS ........................................................................................................ 16
LENGTH OF TIME EMPLOYED ......................................................................................................................................... 16
RENT / OWN ............................................................................................................................................................. 17
WHERE EMPLOYEES LIVE .............................................................................................................................................. 18
HOUSEHOLD TYPE AND SIZE .......................................................................................................................................... 19
AGE OF HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS .................................................................................................................................... 20
CHILD CARE ............................................................................................................................................................... 20
HOUSEHOLDS WITH PETS ............................................................................................................................................. 21
HOUSEHOLD INCOME .................................................................................................................................................. 21
EMPLOYEE HOUSING PROBLEMS ....................................................................................................................... 22
CONSIDERING LEAVING ................................................................................................................................................ 22
DIFFICULTY FINDING HOUSING ...................................................................................................................................... 23
SATISFACTION WITH HOUSING ...................................................................................................................................... 24
HOUSING COST BURDEN .............................................................................................................................................. 25
COVD-19 IMPACTS .................................................................................................................................................... 26
HOUSING PREFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................... 27
WILLINGNESS TO RENT OR PURCHASE ............................................................................................................................. 27
DEMOGRAPHICS OF INTERESTED RENTERS AND BUYERS ...................................................................................................... 28
PREFERRED LOCATION ................................................................................................................................................. 29
PREFERRED HOME TYPE ............................................................................................................................................... 30
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc. TOC
PRICE WILLING AND ABLE TO PAY .................................................................................................................................. 31
Prices by Bedroom Size ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Willing to Pay vs. Affordable Price .................................................................................................................... 32
NEIGHBORHOOD PREFERENCE ....................................................................................................................................... 33
AMENITIES ................................................................................................................................................................ 34
HOUSING COSTS AND AVAILABILITY .................................................................................................................. 36
RENTAL PRICES AND SUPPLY ......................................................................................................................................... 36
NEW AND PENDING RENTALS ........................................................................................................................................ 37
FOR SALE HOME PRICES AND SUPPLY ............................................................................................................................. 38
EMPLOYEE INTEREST IN HOUSING AND OTHER BENEFITS ................................................................................... 41
SUPPORT FOR HOUSING PROGRAMS ............................................................................................................................... 41
INTEREST IN VARIOUS BENEFITS ..................................................................................................................................... 42
HOUSING PROGRAMS OF INTEREST ................................................................................................................................ 44
OTHER PROGRAMS ..................................................................................................................................................... 46
CURRENT EMPLOYER-PROVIDED HOUSING ........................................................................................................ 47
APPENDIX – EMPLOYEE SURVEY RESULTS ......................................................................................................... A-1
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
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The purpose of this study is to help the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency (TTWHA) and
its member employers1 better understand the extent to which the price and scarcity of housing
in the Tahoe Truckee area affects its employees, the ability to recruit and retain qualified staff,
and the ability for employees to find satisfactory housing in the Tahoe Truckee community, if
that is their goal.
The information in this report can help inform conversations about the housing conditions and
other needs of TTWHA member employees. By answering the following questions, this report
should help provide guidance toward effective policies that the TTWHA may consider:
• To what extent is the cost and scarcity of housing affecting employee recruitment,
retention and satisfaction in the Tahoe Truckee area;
• What type of housing do employees need to stay in the area;
• What type of housing is available in the Tahoe Truckee area compared to employee
needs; and
• What types of benefits or programs would employees find helpful?
Report Content
This report summarizes information from the following:
• A survey of employees of TTWHA partner employers to determine their demographics,
incomes, housing issues and concerns, as well as other problems or concerns (e.g., day
care, employment benefits or incentives, etc.). In this report, survey data has been
extrapolated to apply to the full population of employees;
• Focus groups and interviews with department managers and recruiters to understand the
issue from the hiring and employee retention perspective;
• An overview of the current housing market in the Truckee area to understand where the
primary market gaps in housing options for employees exist; and
• Existing housing offered through TTWHA member employers.
1 TTWHA member employers include the Tahoe Forest Health District (TFHD), Truckee Donner Public Utility District
(TDPUD), Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD), and Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD).
Introduction
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Methodology
Employee survey: An online survey was made available to all TTWHA member employees
through the human resources department during the months of June and July 2020. A total of
828 complete responses were received, for a good response rate of 50%. Data from the survey
represents +/- 2.4 percentage points from actual at the 95% confidence interval level.
2020 Response Rates by Employer # Responses # Employees % Response Rate
Total Employees 828 1,666 50%
Tahoe Forest Health District (TFHD) 452 1,036 44%
Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) 305 530 58%
Truckee Donner PUD (TDPUD) 42 72 58%
Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD) 25 28 89%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; TTWHA Employer Human Resources Dept’s
Survey responses well represent the mix of employees of TTWHA member employers:
• Survey data was weighted to ensure responses from each employer represent their
respective proportion of total employees.
• Individual employer responses were weighted for the TFHD and TTUSD to correspond to
the actual proportion of employees by primary job type.
• Responses were not weighted based on where employees live. The geographic location
of survey respondents coincided with employer records on where employees live.
Percentage of TTWHA Employment by Employer:
2020 Employee Survey Responses Compared to TTWHA Member Total Employees Survey Responses
(July 2020)
(pre-weighting)
TTWHA Member
Employees
(June 2020) # % # %
Total Employees 828 100% 1,666 100%
Tahoe Forest Health District (TFHD) 452 55% 1,036 62%
Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) 305 37% 530 32%
Truckee Donner PUD (TDPUD) 42 5% 72 4%
Truckee Tahoe Airport District (TTAD) 25 3% 28 2%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; TTWHA Employer Human Resources Dept’s
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Focus Groups and Interviews: A total of 14 department managers and recruiters were
interviewed to understand the primary challenges with employee recruitment, retention and
satisfaction.
Housing market data: Additional reports and data sources were evaluated to understand the
housing available to employees in the Tahoe Truckee area. This includes:
• Truckee North Tahoe Regional Workforce Housing Needs Assessment, 2016
• Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors market reports
• Landing Locals and Craigslist rental market information
• MLS for-sale listings in August 2020; and
• US Census and ACS demographic data for the Tahoe Truckee area, defined by zip codes
89511, 89451, 96140, 96143, 96145, 96148 and 96161. This covers the Lake Tahoe area
from Incline Village to Truckee, down to (but not including) Homewood.
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The Issue
TTWHA member employers have been successful in attracting and keeping quality employees
despite the difficult housing conditions in the Tahoe Truckee area by offering good pay and
benefits for the area, employee training, move-up opportunities and consciously investing in
their employees to improve employee satisfaction and morale.
Despite employers’ success, it is recognized that finding and affording suitable housing in the
area has long been difficult for employees and has gotten worse in the past several years and
even more so in the past few months. In the Tahoe Truckee area, home sale prices have
increased 7% per year since 2012 and now average over $1 million. Rents have been increasing
up to 13% per year and households earning up to $100,000 per year struggle to cover costs.
Although typically a more affordable option, homes in the Reno/Sparks area, where 21% of
employees live, have been rising at similar rates in recent years.
TTWHA member employers recognize that access to secure and affordable housing is key to
ensuring the ability to attract and retain quality employees, reduce stress, and improve morale,
which all translates to better service for the community. By understanding the extent to which
employees struggle with housing in the area and programs that may help, TTWHA employers
hope to continue to improve employee satisfaction and the ability for employees that desire to
reside in the community in which they work to do so.
Employee Housing Problems
Understanding which employees have the most difficulty can help target programs:
PROBLEM IMPACT Who is mostly affected?
Employees
Considering
Leaving
Employment
(p. 22)
About 260 employees (16%) are
considering leaving their employment at
least in part due to the high cost of
housing.
- Employees that have been employed up to 10 years –
employees trying to get established in housing and
those trying to move-up in housing are affected.
- Renters and households that earn under $100,000.
- In-commuters from Reno/Sparks area that would
prefer to live locally (about 60 employees may leave).
- Employees who are dissatisfied with their housing or
have had difficulty finding housing.
Difficulty
Finding
Housing
(p. 23)
It was “very difficult” for 43% of
employees to find housing the last time
they moved – and 4% are still searching.
- Renters earning under $100,000.
- Owners employed less than 5 years.
- Owners earning under $200,000.
Summary and Observations
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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PROBLEM IMPACT Who is mostly affected?
Housing
Dissatisfaction
(p. 24)
19% of all employees are dissatisfied
with their housing. Units being too small,
too expensive and renters preferring to
buy are the primary reasons for
dissatisfaction.
- Based on term of employment, first year employees
are the most dissatisfied (26%).
- Renters are more likely to be dissatisfied (33%) than
owners (10%)
- About 125 renters are dissatisfied because they would
prefer to buy a home.
Housing Cost
Burden
(p. 25)
About 30% of renters and 18% of
owners are cost-burdened (pay over
30% of their income) by their housing
payment
- Newer employees (less than 2 years) – 30% are cost-
burdened
COVID
Impacts
(p. 26)
About 50% of employees (53% of
renters and 48% of owners) experienced
reduced employment in their household
due to economic changes brought by
COVID.
- Renters - 25% of employees who rent will need help
within 3-months if employment situations do not
improve.
- Employees less than 2-years - 60% experienced
reduced household employment.
Recruiting Concerns
Interviews with employers and department heads, along with survey responses, brought forth
where housing most impacts employee recruitment and retention:
CONCERN ISSUES Suggestions
Reliance on
Reno/Sparks
(pp. 12-13)
- The number of applicants from Reno has been increasing.
- TFHD has seen a 1% rise per year over the past 10 years in
employees commuting in from homes in the Reno/Sparks area
and a corresponding drop in local employees.
- The cost of housing in Reno is rising; employment opportunities in
Reno are expanding.
- 49% of those commuting from Reno/Sparks would prefer to live
in the Tahoe Truckee area. Employees that grow weary of the
commute are likely to find jobs nearer home.
TTWHA employers offer a
strong competitive work
environment, but helping to
improve housing options will
only strengthen the ability to
recruit and keep employees.
Recruiting
(pp. 13-14)
- Applicants increasingly ask about housing options in the area.
- All employers have had applicants refuse jobs due to housing
concerns across the spectrum of jobs: entry level through upper
management.
- When recruiting skilled employees from outside the area, the
high cost of housing is often a barrier.
Being able to advertise “we
can help with housing” would
significantly help many
departments.
Turnover/
training
(p. 15)
- If housing is not a barrier upon recruitment, many employers
have noted that it can lead to turnover within two to five years.
- Some departments are “consistently training” new staff.
- Training new support staff leads to time away from customer care
and service and is costly.
- Quality of care is reduced.
Helping to stabilize housing
conditions for some
employees can help reduce
turnover and the need for
training.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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CONCERN ISSUES Suggestions
Retiring
employees
(p. 15)
- 11% of employees (190 total) expect to retire within 5-years.
- Retirees tend to hold more senior/skilled positions.
- Most retiring employees have stable housing because they own
their homes, which many purchased 10 or 20 years ago or during
the recession.
- New employees struggle to find homes to rent and most do not
earn enough to purchase.
Having short-term housing
available can give employees
time to find more permanent
options.
Housing Program Preferences
About three-fourths of employees are “somewhat” or “very” supportive of their employer
investing resources in housing programs for employees. To help address some concerns of the
9% that are unsupportive, it will be important to be transparent about equality (programs that
reach everyone), cost and where funding is coming from, and “why” programs are needed (e.g.,
what is the benefit to employees and the organization). See p. 41.
When exploring options to address housing, employees expressed the following preferences:
Interest in Renting or Purchasing a Home
About 400 employees (25%) would rent a home from their employer; 500 (31%) would purchase
a deed restricted home. A similar 28% would consider renting if provided with more information
and 31% would consider buying a deed restricted home if provided with more information.
Educating employees on these potential options may significantly expand interest. See pp. 27-8.
Most TTWHA member employees earn too much to qualify for income-restricted rentals.
Renters earning up to $100,000 are the most in need (up to a $2,220 rent payment) and owners
earning below $150,000 are most interested in deed restricted homes. Core needs are:
• Rentals between $1,000 up to $2,500. Rentals are also needed below $1,000 – most of
these households could qualify for income-restricted rentals, if available. (p. 32)
• For sale prices between $200,000 and $500,000. (pp. 32-3)
• Two- and three-bedroom units are the most needed. About 17% of renters desire a one-
bedroom. (p. 31)
• Most employees that would purchase a deed restricted home will consider attached
product, which is good considering that single family homes start at about $600,000 in
the current Tahoe Truckee market. Several examples of well-designed attached
workforce housing neighborhoods exist (e.g. Wellington Neighborhood in Breckenridge,
CO). (p. 30)
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Interest in Non-Housing Assistance Options
• Renters showed the strongest interest in student loan forgiveness, commute
reimbursement and relocation assistance – all factors that affect their cost of living in the
area. (p. 43)
• Owners had the most interest in commute reimbursement, student loan forgiveness and
child care support. These were also programs favored by households with children
(couples and single parents). Child care costs average over $800 per month – this is a
significant burden for many households. (p. 43)
• With COVID, tutoring assistance in addition to day care has arisen as a need. (p. 46)
Interest in Housing Assistance Options
• Employees of 5 years or less showed more interest than longer term employees in all
programs, indicating the strength of these programs in potentially helping to attract and
retain staff. (p. 45)
• Down payment assistance, a housing stipend and assistance with repairs/renovation
were the top three preferred programs. Renters most prefer the down payment program
and housing stipend, plus homebuyer education, which can all help them achieve
homeownership. Owners had most interest in the housing stipend and renovation
assistance, followed by down payment assistance. (p. 45)
Interest in Other Assistance Options
Employees provided ideas for additional assistance that they would find beneficial. Some
common themes include: (p. 46)
• Wage increase
• Alternative work hours/work from home
• Assistance finding housing
• Extended child care assistance/tutoring
assistance
• Food/grocery discounts
• Insurance – home/fire, medical and pet
• Improved transit/transit options/passes.
Existing Housing Assistance
A few TTWHA employers have some housing available for employees:
TFHD Owned and Leased Housing:
• TFHD has 18 beds that are used to assist with short term housing needs, but have not
been made widely available or advertised to the departments as a whole. Units are
typically only fully occupied during winter snow periods when employees are unable to
commute. Other than emergency needs, units are used for on-call temporary housing
and for new staff that need a few months to search for a more permanent home. Units
are typically occupied for 3-months or less with some exceptions. (p. 47)
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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TTAD Duplex
• TTAD has had one duplex for which it has the first right of refusal to rent to employees
for three years. Late notification from the property manager on when units are available
and past pet limiting policies (which have been rectified) have precluded use by TTAD
employees to date. The intent is to offer a better rental option for employees in
unsatisfactory homes. (p. 47)
Local Hotels and Emergency Options
• TDPUD pays for hotel rooms each year for employees during or in anticipation of winter
storms to ensure needed employees are present in the community. TDPUD has also used
Town of Truckee dorms (8 rooms with a shared kitchen and bath) in the past. (p. 12)
• TFHD uses their housing units for inclement weather and hospital beds for any overflow.
(p. 12)
Observed Needs and Recommendations
Based on the data presented in this report, the following primary challenges related to employee
housing issues are apparent:
• Helping newer employees (under 2 years) locate stable and suitable housing, mostly
rentals;
• Helping renters transition into homeownership within 2 to 5 years of employment;
• Helping longer term employees (5 to 10 years) to move up in housing or renovate
existing homes; and
• Expanding housing for on-call staff, temporary positions, and emergency needs (e.g.,
weather).
Stable housing conditions will improve the willingness and ability for employees to come to and
remain in the Tahoe Truckee area. This will in turn decrease employee turnover and related
training and recruitment costs, help with employee morale, and ultimately improve the level of
service to the community. Initial steps to consider include:
• Rental inventory: Make existing TFHD units known and available to more departments for
short-term rental placement of new employees as a starting point. Consider adding more
units to the TTWHA inventory. This can provide new employees time to get familiar with
the Tahoe Truckee area and sort out more permanent housing. It may take some time to
figure out the best management and occupancy structure for TFHD units, but lessons
learned can help inform potential expansion of the program.
• Housing search and placement assistance: Given the current lack of housing in general in
the area, there is no guarantee that employees will be able to find suitable housing
options they can afford. Continue to explore opportunities to expand options for
employees: tap into projects (ownership or rental) under development, continue the
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relationship with Landing Locals, establish an internal rental website that can advertise
“employees that have rooms/housing for employees,” and explore a rent/deposit
assistance program to lower the cost of entry for renters.
• First-time homebuyers: Explore opportunities with ownership projects under
development. Consider down payment assistance, homebuyer education, and other
programs that can help renters save for down payments (E.g., student loan assistance,
day care, etc.).
• Move-up housing needs: Explore programs to help longer term employees that have
outgrown their homes or need to conduct repairs, such as a housing stipend, down
payment assistance and home renovation/repair assistance.
• COVID-19: Do not lose sight of COVID-19 impacts in the near term:
o Child care. Help with tutoring assistance, onsite programs, cost. TFHD is exploring
how their existing child care program can address these options to help both
parents come back to work.
o Emergency/rent/utility assistance. About 25% of renters anticipate having
problems meeting their housing costs within three months if household members
are not able to resume pre-COVID employment status. (p. 26)
Menu of Options
The information from this study can be used by the TTWHA to target employee housing needs,
take inventory of resources and opportunities, set goals, and prioritize programs for action. The
complexity of implementation and impact on TTWHA will vary with each program. Ultimately,
decisions will need to reflect the employee and service priorities of TTWHA and be tailored to
help TTWHA achieve their goals. Know that many employers have implemented these programs
and resources (and contacts) are available as TTWHA begins targeting its program.
PROGRAM Options
Housing Search
Assistance
- Help applying for income-restricted rentals (for those that qualify)
- "Employees leasing to employees" rental inventory
- Landing Locals partnership
- Realtor contacts to help employees learn neighborhoods and research
homes
- Property manager list and contacts - TTWHA has desirable tenants
Housing Unit
Inventory
- Purchase units (allows you to control rents, lease terms (pets), etc.)
- Lease/master-lease agreements (easier to dispose of if no longer needed)
- Invest in new construction (rentals or ownership)
- Hotel or dorm options for short-term/emergency needs
- Temporary housing options - tiny home villages, RV lots
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Renter
Assistance
Programs
- First/last/deposit assistance
- Housing (rent) stipend
- Utility assistance/emergency needs (medical bills, etc.)
- Moving expenses/relocation assistance
Ownership
Programs
- Down payment assistance for first time homebuyers or move-up buyers
- Homebuyer education/financial counseling (for first time homebuyers in
particular)
- Home renovation/repair/rehabilitation support
- Housing stipend
- Low-interest refinancing opportunities
- Utility assistance/emergency needs (medical bills, etc.)
- Moving expenses/relocation assistance
Commuting
Costs
- Mileage reimbursement/travel stipend
- Compensation for drive time
Other
Assistance
- Student loan forgiveness
- Child care and tutoring/homeschooling assistance
- Food or grocery discounts
- Utility/emergency need assistance
- Improved transit/transit options/passes
- Insurance - medical, house/fire, pet
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TTWHA Member Employment
As of this summer, there were 1,666 employees of TTWHA member agencies. Most employers
have been experiencing modest employment growth over the past five years. Tahoe Forest
Health System (TFHD) is one exception, which has grown its employment by 55% since 2015.
Most TTWHA employers expect to continue their modest growth over the next five years. TFHD
hopes it can resume its growth by January 2021. Future recruitment will, therefore, be needed
for new positions, positions vacated due to general turnover and retirement.
Some concern was raised by employers regarding the continuing ability to recruit employees
from the Reno area over the coming years.
• Reno is becoming a less affordable housing option for Tahoe Truckee area employees,
especially when a commute is added. Rents and home sale prices have increased an
average of 7% to 10% per year over the past five years.
• Reno is scheduled to open a new full-service hospital in 2022, having between 900 and
1,200 employees. Increased job options in Reno may mean more competition to attract
employees to and keep employees in the Tahoe Truckee area.
Improving the housing opportunities for employees in the Tahoe Truckee area can help local
employers compete for workers and mitigate some of these concerns.
Unfilled Jobs
In May 2020, TTWHA employers combined reported that less than 5% of jobs were unfilled (60
to 80 total). All employers have typically maintained a strong job-fill rate. A common theme
among all employers is that they offer good pay and benefits for the area, which helps to attract
applicants, fill positions, and retain employees. Many also provide employee training,
opportunities to move up in the organization and a conscious effort to invest in their employees
to improve employee satisfaction and morale.
Some departments go through periods of being understaffed, which occurred recently with
some of the reorganization made in response to COVID. This increases reliance on existing staff
to fill extra shifts and cover multiple jobs, with the following effects noted by TFHD departments:
• Employee burnout and low morale when asked to work consistent overtime. Tired
employees are also more prone to error and injury.
• Decline in customer service and satisfaction. Those that track service scores noted a
down-tick during this period.
Employment, Recruitment and Retention
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Commuting
About 21% of TTWHA member employees (350 total) commute to work from the Reno/Sparks
area. Another 6% commute from homes from other areas outside of the Lake Basin.
Data from the Tahoe Forest Health System shows that employees are
becoming more reliant on housing options outside of the Truckee
area. Employees commuting to work from Reno/Sparks has steadily
increased by about one-percentage point per year since 2010, with a
corresponding decrease in employees residing in the Truckee area.
Where Employees Live: 2010 to 2020
Source: Tahoe Forest Health System human resources dept.
In-commuting employees present some unique challenges, particularly in the winter months.
Such employees are more prone to:
• Tardiness problems or missing work due to traffic or weather delay or, alternatively,
leaving work early to “beat the weather” home. This requires appointments to be
rescheduled and creates increased workload on other staff and frustration for customers.
• Leaving their jobs by growing weary of the commute and/or finding a job closer to home.
All employers have had employees leave jobs in the past year because they grew weary
of the commute or refuse jobs because they could only afford to live outside the area.
• Increased cost by needing to put employees in hotels or other accommodations during
storms. The TDPUD and TFHD reported having the most need for this type of temporary
housing. Current options include paying for local hotel accommodations or using Town of
Truckee dorm rooms, TFHD-owned homes, and hospital rooms/beds for TFHD staff.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Truckee Reno/Sparks North Shore West Shore Other
Employees are
becoming more
reliant on housing
options outside of the
Truckee area.
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In-Commuters That Want To Move
Forty-nine percent of employees that are living in the Reno/Sparks area would prefer to move to
the Tahoe Truckee area within five years if suitable housing they can afford is available.
These approximately 170 employees are more prone to find alternative employment nearer
home if they are unable to relocate closer to their job. Specifically, 34% stated they are
considering leaving their employment in part due to the high cost of housing.
“In the next five (5) years, would you prefer to:”
Employees living in Reno/Sparks only
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Employee Recruitment and Turnover
Employers generally noted a relatively low turnover rate.
• Some departments experience more turnover than others – mostly customer service,
administration, accounting and reception. Medical assistants, staff nursing and dietary at
TFHD are also prone to turnover, though most positions are quickly filled.
• Many employers in other resort-impacted communities2 struggle with retaining food
service (dietary) and housekeeping staff, but this was not a perceived problem for
TTWHA employers. Food service and housekeeping are the jobs that compete most
directly with the service industry in the Truckee Tahoe area. While some TTWHA
employers do not pay as much as the ski resorts for these positions, the benefits offered
and work environment help attract and keep these employees.
Most TTWHA member employers typically get plenty of applicants for all positions given the
desirability of the pay and benefits offered compared to most other local employers. The cost
and availability of housing in the Tahoe Truckee area, however, often affects the ability to “get to
yes” for chosen applicants.
2 Based on recent interviews with Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum, ID; St. John’s Medical Center in Jackson,
WY; Vail Health, serving Eagle County and Summit County, CO; Park City Hospital in Park City, UT.
Move into a home
in the Tahoe
Truckee area
49%
Move into a home
outside of the
Tahoe Truckee
area.
25%
Stay in your current residence
26%
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Recruiting challenges
Housing has grown as a concern among applicants over the past 5 years. Applicants increasingly
ask questions about housing options and some employers have had an increase in offers falling
through. Many have also seen an increase in the number of applicants from Reno over the past
several years.
When applicants get multiple offers, they tend to take the job that is closer to home, which
means Reno if that is where they are living.
All employers have had anywhere from one to twelve employees over the past year decline
positions or leave their employment in part due to housing. This ranges from entry positions to
engineers to managers and directors. New hires that instead take what housing they can find,
and cannot later improve their situation, end up leaving.
Employers generally reported that higher paid skilled positions can be the hardest to recruit for,
especially if they need to be brought in from outside the area. In recruiting skilled employees
from outside the area, the high cost of housing is a barrier; many ask for more money after doing
some research.
Recruiting strategy
The high cost and low availability of housing in the Tahoe Truckee area has had some effect on
applicant selection. When recruiting, a pattern of preference emerged:
• Local applicants that are established in the area;
• Applicants with ties to family or friends in the
area;
• Applicants that have previously been employed or
lived in the area; and, lastly,
• Other applicants from outside the area.
Local applicants or those with local ties typically have local housing options. And those familiar
with the area are not taken by surprise by the winters.
Primary concerns other than the cost of housing that potential employees raise include the
overall cost of living, job opportunities for spouses, day care, traffic/visitors and snow/altitude.
“Housing is an issue for licensed staff and managers and dishwashers... the full range.”
“I only worry about filling top skilled positions that tend to come in from outside of the
area – housing and cost of living is a major flag.”
Employer Interviews
“Part of my fielding applicants is
asking questions toward how
successful they may be able to
find/get housing; second is do you
like snow.”
Employer Interviews
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Turnover and Housing
If housing is not a barrier upon recruitment, many employers have noted that it can lead to
turnover within two to five years:
• New teachers are willing to live with roommates initially. When they meet a partner and
want to build a family, finding a place of their own may be out of reach and some leave.
• About 54% of new employees (less than two years) do not live in the Tahoe Truckee area.
Some that are unable to relocate to the area grow weary of the commute and find a job
closer to home. Employees that live in Reno and carry irregular shifts (night shifts, early
mornings) often do not last long.
Cost of Recruiting and Turnover
The loss of employees and candidates due to cost of living and housing concerns has other
impacts. When housing leads to turnover or declined positions:
• New employees need to be trained. Formal training for employees was stated to take
anywhere from one week to eight weeks, but then most positions take from 6 months up
to two years to get fully up to speed. Some departments are “always training,” which
take additional resources away from providing other services.
• Declined offers are costly. It takes time to schedule and conduct interviews, consult with
the review team, and present offers. This is lost time and money when offers are
declined.
• If departments are understaffed, existing employees need to compensate. This increases
overtime (including overtime pay). If extended over a long period, it can also lead to
burnout, decreased morale, reduced levels of service, and potentially more turnover.
Retiring employees
About 11% of employees (190 total) expect to retire within five years. Pending retirees tend to
be more senior positions and skilled staff. Seventy-three percent (73%) have been employed
with their TTWHA member employer for over 10 years.
Replacing employees when they retire can pose challenges.
• Retiring employees mostly own their homes (89%) and have stable housing. Many
purchased 10 or 20 years ago or during the recession. Most new employees will not be
able to purchase in the area.
• Many departments have a history of filling retiree positions from within their
organizations. For those that are not able to, skilled positions take longer to replace. All
employers have had director and manager-level candidates refuse positions after
researching housing options and cost.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Understanding the household characteristics of TTWHA member employees is necessary to
understand varying housing needs. Whether households have children, desire to live without
roommates, have pets, and currently own or rent will affect the type, size and location of
housing needed for the long-term stability and satisfaction of employees.
This section compares, where available, the household characteristics of TTWHA member
employees to that of households in the North Lake area overall.
Length of Time Employed
The differences in length of employment between owners and renters is telling.
• The vast majority of employees that have worked for the organization more than 10
years own their homes (86%). Employees that are able to get established in stable
housing are more likely to stay.
• Employees that have worked for their employer less than 2 years are much more likely to
rent. These employees are also more dissatisfied with their housing and are more likely
to be cost-burdened (pay more than 30% of their income for rent and utilities) than
longer-term employees. In addition, 52% of these employees found it very difficult to find
housing the last time they moved (46%) or are still searching (6%).
All of these factors suggest that having rentals available for newer employees to locate in the
area and sort out more permanent housing would be beneficial.
How long have you worked for your TTWHA employer?
Own Rent Total
Less than one year 8% 18% 12%
1 to 2 years 9% 19% 13%
2 to 5 years 24% 33% 27%
5 to 10 years 18% 18% 18%
More than 10 years 41% 12% 30%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Employee Household Characteristics
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Rent / Own
TTWHA member employees are less likely to own homes than households in the North Lake area
overall.
TTWHA
employees
North Lake area
households
Own 61% 72%
Rent 39% 28%
TOTAL 100% 100%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; 2018 5-year ACS
On average, new employees that rent seek to move into ownership within five years of their
employment. This is illustrated below:
• About 58% percent of new employees (less than
2 years) do not own their home.
• This falls to 44% between two to five years and
36% between 5 to 10 years as employees either
buy homes or leave.
Percent of Employees that Rent by Length of Employment
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
58%
44%
36%
14%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Less than 2
years
2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years 10 or more
years
Time Employed with TTWHA Employer
“Many of our employees do not
anticipate ever being
homeowners.”
Employer Interviews
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Where Employees Live
Over one-half of employees (54%) live in the Truckee area.
Where Employees Live
Own Rent Total
Truckee area 55% 52% 54%
Other Lake Tahoe area 20% 18% 19%
Reno/Sparks 19% 26% 21%
Other CA 5% 3% 4%
Other NV 2% 1% 2%
100% 100% 100%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
The percentage of employees residing in the Truckee area increases with their length of
employment. Less than one-half of newer employees (under 2 years) reside in the Truckee area,
rising to 61% of employees that have been employed for 10 years or more. This indicates the
difficulty of locating in the area initially and supports that employees that are able to get
established in the Truckee area are more likely to retain their employment than employees that
commute from elsewhere.
Where Employees Live by Length of Employment
6%
15%
19%
61%
8%
17%
21%
54%
7%
20%
20%
53%
13%
18%
23%
46%
0%20%40%60%80%
Other
Reno/Sparks area
Other Lake Tahoe
Truckee area
Percent of Employees
Under 2 years
2 to 5 years
5 to 10 years
More than 10 years
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Household Type and Size
The largest percentage of employee households is
couples with children (44%). In comparison, only 19%
of North Lake area households are couples with
children, indicating that families with children find it
difficult to live in the area.
As is typical, renters are more likely to be living alone
or with roommates than owners. About 10% live with
other family members, with adult children living with
parents being relatively common.
Single parents also comprise a higher percentage of renters than owners. Single parent
households are typically most prone to housing cost-burden due to the need to support a family
with, often, one income.
Household Composition
Own Rent Total
North Lake area
Households
Couple, no children 28% 23% 26% 38%
Couple with children 53% 29% 44% 19%
Single parent 5% 13% 8% 11%
Living alone 7% 14% 10% 23%
Non-family roommates 1% 10% 5% 9%
Extended family households* 6% 10% 7% -
Average Household size 3.1 2.9 3.0 2.4
*Extended family households include, e.g., adult children living with parents; caregiving for elderly parents; etc.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; 2018 5-year ACS
“We have considered leaving this town,
because we don't believe we can afford a
home that would fit our growing family.”
My adult children wanted to live here….
None of them could afford to buy a home
here … So they all moved away and took
their families to other communities.”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Age of Household Members
A similar percentage of employees that rent or own have children in their home. About one-third
of households have school-aged children. School performance and proximity will be important to
these employees
Owners are much more likely to have someone between the age of 30 and 64 in their home;
households with younger adults (18 to 29) are more likely to be renting.
Age of Household Members
Own Rent Total
Age 5 or younger 19% 20% 19%
6 to 17 34% 30% 32%
18 to 29 23% 31% 26%
30 to 64 88% 73% 82%
65 and over 9% 6% 8%
Total* 172% 160% 167%
*Total exceeds 100% because households have multiple people at different ages.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Child Care
Child care assistance programs would benefit households that rent or own. About 21% each of
owners and renters report paying for child care. Households spend an average of $830/month
on child care.
Do you pay for child care? Own Rent Total
Yes 21% 21% 21%
No 79% 79% 79%
Average payment per month $906 $705 $833
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
“Our childcare is almost as much as our mortgage.”
“Child care support would make a tremendously positive impact on my family.”
“…We are so so so grateful to have discounted childcare.. any support in this area is
unbelievable helpful and allows me to still work and afford to not stay at home!”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Households with Pets
Pets are popular with TTWHA member employees:
76% have pets. Of households with pets, eighty-six
percent have dogs.
Do you have pets?
Own Rent Total
No 17% 35% 24%
Yes 83% 65% 76%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Household Income
The median income of TTWHA member employee households is 15% higher than Tahoe Truckee
area households overall. TTWHA member employee households are much more likely to earn
between $100,000 and $200,000 and much less likely to earn under $50,000 or over $200,000
than Tahoe Truckee area households.
About 73% of employee households that rent have incomes below $100,000 and 78% of owner
households have incomes above $100,000. The shift around $100,000 indicates that this is the
point where renters start to get into ownership.
Household Income by Own/Rent
Own Rent Total North Lake area
households
Under $25,000 0% 3% 1% 12%
$25,000 - $49,999 2% 14% 7% 15%
$50,000 - $74,999 7% 23% 14% 13%
$75,000 - $99,999 13% 23% 17% 16%
$100,000 - $149,999 32% 24% 28% 11%
$150,000 to $199,999 24% 8% 18% 11%
$200,000 or more 22% 5% 15% 23%
TOTAL 100% 100% 100% 100%
Median household income $140,000 $82,000 $110,000 $95,334*
Average household income $149,180 $90,737 $126,700 -
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; 2018 5-year ACS
*ACS median income estimated for 2020 based on average yearly income growth (3.1% per year) since 2012
“Pets are a huge roadblock to finding
rental housing and many of us have
pets.”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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TTWHA member employees face high housing costs and limited availability in the Truckee area.
Understanding the problems they experience when searching for suitable housing will help
inform decisions about types of assistance that would be most beneficial for employees.
Considering Leaving
About 16% of TTWHA member employees (260 total) are considering or strongly considering
leaving employment in part due to high housing costs. Another 25% are undecided.
Employees are about equally as likely to consider leaving whether they have been employed for
under 2 years or up to 10 years – the cost of housing affects those trying to get established in
housing or move-up in housing.
Employees meeting the following criteria are at higher risk of leaving:
• Households living in Reno/Sparks area or other parts of Nevada (22% considering
leaving).
• Households earning under $100,000 (22% considering leaving);
• Households that rent (26% considering leaving);
• Households that had significant difficulty finding suitable housing or have yet to find it
(26% considering leaving); and
• Households that are dissatisfied with their housing (29% considering leaving).
“I am considering leaving my employment in part because of the high
cost of housing in the area”
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Strongly Agree
5%
Agree
11%
Undecided
25%
Disagree
28%
Strongly
Disagree
32%
Employee Housing Problems
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Difficulty Finding Housing
Forty-three percent of employees stated it was “very difficult” to find housing the last time they
moved – and 4% are still searching. The level of difficulty has increased over the past five years.
When you last moved, how difficult was it to find housing that met your needs
and that you could afford?
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
• Sixty-five percent of renters found the housing search “very difficult” and 6% are still
searching. Renter households earning $100,000 and less are the most impacted.
• A comparatively low 28% of owners found the search “very difficult,” mostly impacting
owner households earning up to $200,000. For owners employed less than 5 years, 40%
found it “very difficult.”
Difficulty Finding Housing by Own/Rent
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
I have yet to
find such
housing
4%
Very difficult
43%
Moderately
difficult
34%
Not difficult
19%
26%
45%
28%
1%8%
21%
65%
6%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
Not difficult Moderately
difficult
Very difficult I have yet to find
such housing
Own Rent
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Satisfaction With Housing
Renters (36%) are much more likely than owners (10%) to be somewhat or very dissatisfied with
their housing. First year employees are the most dissatisfied; satisfaction generally increases
with time of employment.
• Owners that are dissatisfied most frequently noted that units are too small and too
expensive. Another 23% feel that their home is too far from work.
• Renters are predominately dissatisfied because units are too small, too expensive and
they would prefer to purchase a home (about 125 renters want to purchase a home).
Units being too far from work and/or in poor condition are other concerns.
• “Other” reasons noted included having to live with parents or extended family, lack of
local housing options (type and availability), inability to afford repairs or upgrades, and
neighborhood problems (short term rentals, noise, maintenance).
Reason for Dissatisfaction with Housing: Owners and Renters
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
15%
7%
5%
56%
18%
31%
33%
56%
59%
7%
0%
0%
2%
13%
16%
23%
30%
34%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%
Other reason
Pets not allowed
Too far from transit
Currently rent, prefer to buy
Not in desirable location
Needs repairs/poor condition
Too far from work
Too expensive
Too small/overcrowded
Own Rent
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Housing Cost Burden
Cost-burden indicates the extent to which housing costs exceed what households can afford.
Households are considered to be cost burdened if their housing payment3 exceeds 30% of their
gross income and extremely cost burdened if it exceeds 50%. Cost burdened households often
have insufficient income left over for other life necessities including food, clothing,
transportation and health care.
TTWHA member employees are less likely to be cost-burdened than households in the North
Lake area overall. This is not surprising given the comparatively higher incomes earned by
TTWHA member employees. Despite this, the cost of housing, paired with lack of availability, are
among the largest barriers raised by employees and staff in this study to employees being able
to reside in the Tahoe Truckee area.
Cost-Burdened Households
% paying 30% or more of income for housing
Own Rent
Employee households 18% 30%
Total North Lake area 30% 43%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey; 2018 5-year ACS
Cost-burden affects new employees that have taken jobs within the past two years (30% cost-
burdened) more so than longer-term employees (23% cost-burdened). This makes sense when
market conditions are considered4:
• The sharp rise in rents and sale prices of homes in recent years. Since 2015, rents have
increased an average of 13% per year and home sale prices by 7% per year.
• Wages have not kept up with this increase. Newer employees searching for housing are
facing much higher housing costs than employees hired just a few years ago.
Housing is the largest expense for many households. In a community in which everything is
expensive – utilities, groceries, gas, services, taxes – it takes just a slight rise in housing costs to
disrupt household finances.
3 The US Census defines “housing payment” to include rent and mortgage plus utilities.
4 See also “Housing Costs and Availability” section of this report.
“I will be needing to sell my home of 25 years due to the rising taxes and insurance in
Truckee.”
“Cost of groceries and gasoline contribute greatly to the high cost of living in this area.”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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COVD-19 Impacts
The extent to which employee households were affected by COVID-19 impacts can be helpful to
understand if near term assistance may be needed if current reduced business operations and
employment conditions continue. Recognize that if and when job situations change and the
economy opens up, the need for COVID-related assistance will decrease.
Employees were asked how the COVID-19 outbreak affected employment in their household.
About 52% of owners and 47% of renters reported no impacts. About one-third of respondents
had work hours reduced for at least one employee in their household; only 3% had someone
permanently laid off.
“How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected employment of
members of your household?”
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Of respondents experiencing impacts, renters are the most adversely effected, with 47% of
those impacted expecting to need assistance with living expenses within three months, if
employment status does not resume.
How long can you sustain your housing and other living expenses under current
reduced employment status?
Own Rent
Less than 3 months 21% 47%
3 months to 6 months 25% 26%
6 months or more 54% 27%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
3%
18%
34%
50%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Permanent lay-offs
Temporary lay-offs
Work hours reduced
NO CHANGE
Percent of Respondents
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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When evaluating various options to help with housing, it is important to understand if there
would be demand for housing provided by TTWHA: either for rentals provided by the employer
or for employees to purchase homes that carry price-limiting deed restrictions to ensure
continued affordability for employees.
Characteristics including where units should be located, number of bedrooms needed and unit
prices are also presented to clarify the potential market for such homes.
Willingness to Rent or Purchase
Existing employee households that rent comprise the primary market for employees interested
in either renting a unit from their employer or purchasing a deed restricted home.
“Would you be interested in renting a home from your employer?” Own Rent Total
Yes – would rent 9% 51% 25%
Maybe/need more information 22% 37% 28%
No 69% 12% 47%
Total employees 1,022 644 1,666
“Would you have interest in purchasing a deed restricted home in the Tahoe Truckee area?”5 Own Rent Total
Yes - would buy 18% 52% 31%
Maybe/need more information 26% 37% 31%
No 56% 11% 38%
Total employees 1,022 644 1,666
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
• Employees interested in renting was fairly consistent regardless of income, reflecting the
scarcity of suitable rentals in the area.
• Many owners are established in their housing. Owners looking to purchase are primarily
those who are not satisfied with their current home, location or cost.
5 “Deed Restricted” was defined in the survey as: A home priced below market value so that it is affordable to
purchase (affordable means that you pay no more than 30% of your income for mortgage). The resale price,
however, is also limited so that it will be affordable for households that earn within a specified income range (e.g.,
typically no more than 3% increase in value permitted per year).
Housing Preferences
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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• Deed restricted homes allow households
that could not otherwise own homes in the
Tahoe Truckee market to do so. This means
that as households approach the ability to
purchase market rate homes, the
willingness to purchase a home with a deed
restriction declines. This is reflected in the data. Two-thirds of employees earning under
$150,000 per year would consider purchasing a deed restricted home. Interest declines
for households earning higher incomes.
Demographics of Interested Renters and Buyers
Understanding who desires housing is important to ensure that product design and function
serve household needs. Of interest is that there is little demographic difference between
employees that may be interested in renting or purchasing a home, indicating that all household
types face similar issues with finding suitable housing they can afford in the area.
• Couples with children comprise the largest segment interested in housing, followed by
couples without children.
• Single-parent households and employees living with immediate or extended family are
also interested in rentals or ownership. These households are prone to more unstable or
unsatisfactory housing conditions than other household types.
Households Interested in Units
HOUSEHOLD COMPOSITION Would consider
renting**
Would consider
buying**
ALL
employees
Couple, no children 24% 24% 26%
Couple with children 29% 41% 44%
Single parent 13% 10% 8%
Living alone 15% 10% 10%
Non-family roommates 9% 5% 5%
Extended family households* 10% 10% 7%
*Extended family households include, e.g., adult children living with parents; caregiving for elderly parents; etc.
**Includes employees that replied “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they would be interested in renting from their
employer or purchasing a deed restricted home.
• Households that have been employed for less than 5 years express the most interest in
ownership or rentals. These employees are less likely to be established in stable housing
than longer-term employees.
“Your suggestion of a deed restricted home
would be incredibly wonderful for younger
families so that our community can
continue to live here and thrive.”
Employee survey
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Households Interested in Units (continued)
LENGTH OF EMPLOYMENT Would consider
renting**
Would consider
buying**
ALL
employees
< 2 years 39% 33% 25%
2 to 5 years 31% 30% 27%
5 to 10 years 18% 17% 18%
10 or more years 12% 19% 30%
AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOME $ 87,240 $106,384 $126,700
**Includes employees that replied “yes” or “maybe” when asked if they would be interested in renting from their
employer or purchasing a deed restricted home.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Preferred Location
Employees that would rent from their employer or consider purchasing a deed restricted home
in the Tahoe Truckee area would each consider multiple locations.
• The most preferred location for both potential renters and owners is the Truckee area,
followed by Tahoe City and Kings Beach. Preferred locations are very similar for those
that would consider renting or buying.
Where Employees Want to Live Would consider
renting
Would consider
buying
Truckee area 87% 88%
Tahoe City area 40% 42%
Kings Beach area 30% 35%
Incline Village area 22% 25%
Other Nevada County 9% 11%
Other Placer County 6% 8% 193% 208%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
• Compared to where households currently live, employees living in the Truckee area or
Reno/Sparks and other Nevada areas mostly prefer the Truckee area.
• Just over one-half of employees living in other areas of the Lake would consider the
Truckee area; with many others wanting to stay in or near their current communities,
such as Tahoe City and Kings Beach.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Where Employees Want to Live that Would Consider Renting or Buying
Desired living location
Where employees currently live:
Reno/Sparks/
Other NV Truckee area
Other Lake
Tahoe
Truckee area 93% 96% 54%
Tahoe City area 36% 34% 69%
Kings Beach area 32% 27% 53%
Incline Village area 37% 14% 35%
Other Nevada County 18% 9% 1%
Other Placer County 11% 5% 7%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Preferred Home Type
As is typical in most communities, the first housing choice of employees that would consider
purchasing a deed restricted home is a single-family home. Potential buyers are also open to
attached product: a two-story townhouse-style home was the highest ranked second choice and
a stacked condo was the highest ranked third choice.
Given the high price of single family homes in the area, employees searching for homes under
$500,000 will most likely need to consider attached product (see the “Housing Costs and
Availability” section). Only 10% of respondents did not provide a second choice, meaning that
most would consider product other than a single family home if appropriately designed and
priced.
Type of Home Employees Would Consider Buying: Top three choices
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
17%
11%
45%
19%
4%
14%
12%
12%
57%
4%
3%
3%
4%
4%
87%
0%20%40%60%80%100%
Manufactured home
Tiny house (under 600 sq. ft.)
Condominium (stacked-flat style)
Townhome/Duplex (two story)
Single family home
First choice Second choice Third choice
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Price Willing and Able to Pay
Housing affordability is used to measure whether housing is stable and secure or whether it is
causing stress and discomfort. Housing affordability is a function of both the cost of housing and
household income. The rule of thumb is that a household is cost burdened, or the housing is not
affordable, if housing costs (rent or mortgage plus utilities) exceed 30% of the household’s
income.
This section reports, first, what employees interested in renting a home from their employer or
purchasing a deed restricted home are “willing” to pay by bedroom size. It then compares the
distribution of households by income based on what they can afford to pay using the 30%
standard.
Prices by Bedroom Size
As shown below, the largest percentage of employee households need two- and three-bedroom
units whether they are looking to rent or own a home. A higher percentage of renters than
owners would also desire a 1-bedroom unit.
Potential renters and owners are willing to pay more as bedroom sizes increase. Stated price
preferences, however, are well below what the market currently offers (see “Housing Costs and
Availability,” below).
Willing to Pay by Needed Bedroom Size Would Consider Renting Would Consider Buying
% distribution
Average rent
would pay % distribution
Average price
would pay
1-bedroom 17% $980 5% $253,333
2-bedroom 42% $1,286 29% $291,740
3-bedroom 36% $1,519 55% $350,740
4-or-more 6% $1,757 12% $367,550
Total 100% $1,345 100% $332,145
Average bedrooms 2.3 - 2.7 -
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
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Willing to Pay vs. Affordable Price
Potential buyers and renters both report that they are “willing” to pay less than their household
could potentially afford based on the 30% of income for housing standard.
• Potential renters underestimate their payments by about 40%;
• Potential owners underestimate their purchase price by about 30%.
Reporting a willingness to pay less than 30% of income for housing is not uncommon and reflects
varying household priorities and other financial obligations (e.g. student or car loans, etc.). Many
comments in the survey and interviews reflect concern over the high cost of living in the area,
which includes not only housing, but also gas, groceries and services. The “willing to pay” and
“could pay” difference also indicates that education on housing and finance may be beneficial.
Typically, the amount that households are willing to pay increases if a new or better product
than what is currently available in the current market is offered. As shown below:
• Most households would prefer to pay between $1,000 and $2,000 for rent.
• Household incomes indicate that most could pay between $1,000 to $3,000 for rent.
• Households that can only afford rents below $1,000 should be able to qualify for income-
restricted rentals below 80% AMI.
Would Pay and Could Pay: Potential Renters
Monthly Rent Would pay
for rent
Could afford to pay
for rent*
Under $800 10% 13%
$800 to $999 16% 8%
$1,000 to $1,499 39% 21%
$1,500 to $1,999 26% 21%
$2,000 to $3,000 8% 23%
$3,000 or more 0% 13%
Average Rent $1,345 $1,900
*Assumes no more than 30% of household income for rent plus utilities. Amounts reflect affordable rents with
utilities removed. Utilities were estimated to be $280 per month on average per survey responses.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
• Most households interested in purchasing a deed restricted home would prefer to pay
between $200,000 to $400,000 to purchase a home.
• Household incomes indicate that most could pay up to $500,000 for a home.
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Would Pay and Could Pay: Potential Buyers
Home Purchase Price Would pay Could afford to pay*
Under $150,000 6% 4%
$150,000 to $199,999 9% 7%
$200,000 to $299,999 24% 19%
$300,000 to $399,999 34% 21%
$400,000 to $499,999 22% 20%
$500,000 or more 6% 29%
Average $332,145 $438,939
*Assumes 30-year loan with 4.5% interest rate, 5% down, and 20% of payment for HOA, interest and taxes.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Neighborhood Preference
If TTWHA considers housing options for employees, understanding the extent to which potential
renters and owners desire to live among other employees is an important consideration. As
shown below, there is little difference between those that would rent from their employer and
those that would consider purchasing a deed restricted home with respect to the mix of
households in a neighborhood.
• Responses are relatively well divided, with close to one-third each feeling very positive
about living amongst fellow employees, preferring a mixed community of co-workers and
desiring more information.
• Only about 7% of those that would consider renting or buying are opposed to living
among fellow employees.
Desire to Live Among Fellow Employees Would
consider
renting
Would
consider
owning
Feel very positive about living amongst fellow employees 33% 30%
Some coworkers would be fine, but mixed with other members of the local
community would be preferable 32% 35%
It depends on the neighborhood environment / need more info 28% 29%
I do not want to live amongst other employees 7% 7%
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Amenities
The most important home amenities to all households include in-unit washer/dryers and
garages/carports, and allowing pets.
The top location amenities most desired are access to outdoor recreation and being near work.
Owners place slightly higher importance on all amenities than renters, except proximity to work
for which renters show a slight preference.
By household type:
• Quality of schools is most important to households with children (4.0 couples with
children; 3.6 single parents);
• A garage/carport is slightly less important to roommate and single parent households
than other household types (3.9 average);
• Proximity to work is most important to adults living alone and single parent households
(4.1 average); and
• Proximity to day care is more important to households with children (2.4 average), but is
still of relatively low importance.
Importance of Amenities: HOME FEATURES
(scale from 1 – not important to 5 – extremely important)
2.8
3.8
3.7
4.1
4.0
4.5
2.8
3.9
4.0
4.2
4.4
4.6
- 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
Age - want new home
Energy efficiency
Extra storage
Allows pets
Garage/carport
In-unit washer/dryer
Own Rent
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Importance of Amenities: LOCATION
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
1.9
2.2
3.1
3.4
3.2
3.9
3.8
1.9
2.3
3.3
3.5
3.5
3.8
4.1
- 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
Near to bus service
Near to day care
Near to work of others
in my household
Near to services
Quality of schools
Near to my place of work
Access to outdoor recreation
Own Rent
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The cost of housing has been rising rapidly in the Truckee area since 2012, with the gains even
more exaggerated this summer due to COVID-19 impacts. The increased ability to work from
home and desire to live more remotely driven by COVID-19 changes has fast-tracked a trend that
was already occurring in the area.
This section provides a brief overview of recent housing market changes and compares the
availability to what TTWHA member employees could afford. This information can help place
more context on the extent of the housing gap and where programs or assistance, and what
type, may be most effective.
Rental Prices and Supply
As of August 29, 2020, only 40 properties were advertised for rent on online platforms in the
Truckee area. This is up from 10 properties reported by Landing Locals in July, but down from 71
available in December 2015.
• The average rent charged for properties advertised in
August 2020 was $3,035. This rent requires an income
over $120,000 to afford.
• Advertised rents increased an average of 13% per
year since Dec. 2015. This is a yearly increase of $100
to $300 in monthly rent.
• Vacancy rates are very low. Forty units advertised is equivalent to about 1% vacancy.
When vacancy rates drop below 5%, that is a strong signal that more rentals are needed
in the market.
Current rents paid by employees living in the Tahoe Truckee area are substantially less than
advertised rents. This is not uncommon and is related to the characteristics of the information.
• Advertised rents reflect what new renters coming to the Truckee area will find through
traditional methods.
• Renters in longer term units often pay below current market rents. Some owners do not
increase rents the full amount with existing tenants.
• If rentals are advertised, this means that they were not “filled by word of mouth.” Higher
priced units are more likely to be advertised.
Housing Costs and Availability
“Even employees in
management roles struggle to
keep up with recent rent
increases.”
Employer Interviews
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Advertised Rentals: August 2020
Properties advertised:
Dec. 2015 Average
advertised rent
Aug. 2020 Average
advertised rent
2020 Total
advertised
Average rent paid*
(2020 survey)
Studio/1-bedroom $1,051 $1,573 16 $1,228
2-bedroom $1,472 $2,413 8 $1,455
3-bedroom $2,237 $4,150 7 $1,792
4-bedroom $2,425 $5,438 9 $2,028
Total $1,850 $3,035 40 $1,775
Income needed to afford $73,940 $121,400 - $70,990
*Lake area employees only (for like comparison)
Source: Truckee North Tahoe Regional Workforce Housing Needs Assessment, 2016 (pp. 55-6);
Craigslist Rentals Aug. 29, 2020; 2020 Employee Survey
Renters encounter many difficulties in the current tight and expensive rental environment,
including:
• Concern that rents will be increased beyond their
means.
• Owners selling units or converting to short-term rental
and displacing long-term renters.
• Competition for units when they come available; most
recently from an influx of Bay Area renters, many bearing cash.
• Word of mouth and local connections is the best way to locate rentals and “get lucky.”
New and Pending Rentals
Coburn Crossing apartments opened this year and provided 138 new rentals in Truckee. All are
to be occupied by employees working locally, but prices are not capped. One-bedrooms are
currently $1,645 and 2-bedrooms are $2,000. All units were occupied as of the end of August.
Just over 200 rentals are under construction in Truckee.
The majority will be income-restricted for households
earning under 80% AMI. Only 26% of TTWHA member
employees that rent earn below 80% AMI (e.g., average 3-
person households earning $62,000 or less).
“Employees need to be able to
afford a place to live. And not
live day by day thinking of
getting evicted because of not
being able to pay rent.”
Employee survey
“… we make too much to qualify for
low income, but not enough to afford
a decent standard of living in the
immediate area.”
Employee survey
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Rental Projects Under Construction: Truckee area
Title # Units Bedrooms Pricing Status
Truckee Railyards 77 units studio, 1, 2, 3 30% to 80% AMI Late 2020/early 2021
Frischman Hollow II 68 units studio, 1, 2, 3 50% to 80% AMI Under construction
Coldstream Commons 48 units - 50% to 80% AMI Under construction
Pioneer Commerce Center Apts 9 units - most market rate Under construction
Source: Town of Truckee website; Mountainhousingcouncil.org
For Sale Home Prices and Supply
Home sale prices have generally been increasing in the Tahoe Truckee area since 2012 at an
average rate of 7% per year. The average sale price through June 2020 was over $1 million.
The inventory of homes available for sale has declined while prices have increased, meaning
buyers must compete for fewer homes. Only 2-months of inventory were listed in June 2020. A
general rule of thumb is that when the number of homes available for sale is below a 6-month
supply, it is a seller’s market – meaning that there are more buyers than homes available to
purchase, resulting in rising prices. The Tahoe Truckee area has been in a strong seller’s market
for several years.
June 2020 was a near record-setting month for sales. It is not uncommon for homes in the
current market to have more than 10 offers, many in cash, due to high demand in particular
from Bay Area buyers looking to relocate to Truckee. The current COVID-related boom has sped
up trends that were already occuring and is bringing more work from home households and
permanent area residents. It is uncertain how long this trend will last.
Average Sale Prices and Listing Inventory: Tahoe Truckee Area, 2012 to June 30, 2020
$601,217
$821,430 $832,540
$1,047,342 $1,053,000
1,598 1,803
1,075 683 766 640 495 516 389
- 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000
$-
$200,000
$400,000
$600,000
$800,000
$1,000,000
$1,200,000
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
(thru
June
30)Active Listing InventoryAverage Sale Price
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Sales and Inventory: 2012 to June 30, 2020
2012 2015 2019 2020 (thru
June 30)
# sales 516 562 562 562
Active listings 1,598 683 516 389
Months of inventory 13.4 5.8 3.9 2.0
Average sale price $601,217 $759,693 $907,330 $1,053,000
Income to afford avg sale price $144,700 $182,800 $218,400 $253,400
Source: Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors Market Report
In August 2020, there were 353 homes listed for sale in the Truckee area (excluding Incline
Village). Average and median listing prices are well above what most TTWHA member employees
can afford.
For Sale Listings: August MLS6
All properties Single Family Attached
# listings 353 246 107
Median listing price $895,000 $999,999 $599,000
Average listing price $1,556,776 $1,881,455 $810,320
Source: Tahoe Sierra Board of Realtors’ Multiple Listing Service
The vast majority of homes for sale in the Truckee area are
priced over $600,000. The majority of employees wanting to
buy will need homes priced between $200,000 and $500,000.
Most listings at this price are two-bedroom or smaller
condominiums.7 Single family homes at this price tend to be
older and in need of significant renovation or repair.
6 There were 430 homes listed for sale in August 2020. Seventy-seven of these are in Incline Village, only 14 of which
are priced under $1 million and all of which are over $500,000. This section excludes Incline Village from the
analysis.
7 Purchasing condominiums come with additional challenges not reflected in the sale price. Homeowner Association
Fees affect the purchasing power of households. A monthly HOA of $200/month effectively adds $30,000 to the
purchase price; complexes that are less than 50% owner-occupied have limited loan options and may require higher
down payments; and often the size, location and use of the complex may not be desirable for year-round residents
or families.
“People move out because
they cannot afford to live
here now, much less find
anything else they can.”
Employer interview
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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The below chart compares the income of current employees who own to existing homes listed
for sale.
• Ninety-three percent (93%) of employees
who own purchased single family homes.
• The majority of current owners would not be
able to purchase homes in the Tahoe Truckee
area today.
Distribution of August 2020 Listings* by Asking Price Compared to
What Employees that Currently Own Can Afford
Source: Multiple Listing Service; 2020 Employee Survey
*data excludes listings in Incline Village
0%3%3%6%8%13%
66%
3%8%
17%13%9%
18%
32%
2%7%
13%
20%
12%
24%22%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Under
$200,000
$200,000 to
$299,999
$300,000 to
$399,999
$400,000 to
$499,999
$500,000 to
$599,999
$600,000 to
$799,999
$800,000 or
more
Single family Attached (townhome, condo)All employees who own
“[W]e bought in 2012 when housing
prices were at their lowest. Now, there is
no way we would be able to afford the
house we live in making our income. This
is a huge problem for those needing a
place or buy or rent in today's market.”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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The survey of TTWHA member employees provided feedback on potential interest in and
support for housing assistance or other benefits. This section can be used to help understand
which households would find benefit in various programs and how programs could be structured
to be effective, if pursued.
Support for Housing Programs
TTWHA member employees strongly support the investment of resources in housing programs
and opportunities for employees. Overall, 73% are very (53%) or somewhat (20%) supportive.
Only 5% do not support the use of resources for employee housing. About 18% are neutral,
suggesting the need for additional information on what may be implemented.
“How supportive are you of your employer investing resources in housing programs
and opportunities for employees?”
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Levels of support varied by a few factors:
• A larger percentage of renters are “very supportive” (65%) than owners (46%);
• A higher percentage of employees that have been working for their employer for under 2
years (63%) and between 5 to 10 years (58%) are “very supportive.” These are employees
both trying to get established in housing, as well as those desiring to move up in housing.
• Employees with household incomes under $100,000 were the most supportive. These
households are also the most likely to consider assistance programs, if available.
Not at all
supportive
5%Somewhat
unsupportive
4%
Neutral/No
opinion
18%Somewhat
supportive
20%
Very supportive
53%
Employee Interest in Housing and Other Benefits
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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When employees were asked why they support their employer investing in housing programs,
common reasons included to:
• Ensure public safety, health care and education
employees remain in our community; ensure strong,
reliable service.
• Relieve pressure on households with other expenses:
child care, student loans, etc.
• Reduce employee stress; reduce commuting (especially in the winter).
• Increase attraction and retention of quality staff.
• Help employees get into stable housing: leads to satisfaction and better service.
Reasons provided by employees who were not supportive or neutral on the issue included:
• Employers should increase wages instead.
• Uncertainty about employer service tradeoffs if investment in housing increases.
• Equality of assistance – owners, renters, commuters – all employees.
• Lower cost housing is available in other areas (i.e., commute).
• Do not desire to pay taxes/higher taxes to support programs.
Interest in Various Benefits
Survey respondents were asked the extent to which they might consider various benefits, if
available. General observations include:
• Mileage/commute reimbursement, student loan forgiveness and moving/relocation
assistance are the top programs of interest among all employees overall.
• Interest in listed benefits generally declined with tenure of employment, meaning that
those that have been employed for under 5 years are most likely to consider the
programs.
• Employees that currently own their homes or rent exhibited differences in preferences.
o Renters are more likely to consider all programs than owners.
o Over one-half of renters had “definite interest” in student loan forgiveness,
commute reimbursement and relocation assistance – all factors that affect their
cost of living in the area.
o Commute reimbursement was the only program that a higher percentage of
owners would consider (49%) than not (25%). Student loan forgiveness and child
care support followed, with about one-third of owners having interest.
“[H]appy employees bring
better results and a positive
attitude. They don't get sick
and don't miss workdays.”
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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“In which of the following other types of assistance would you or your
household have interest, if available?”
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
35%
36%
16%
13%
28%
23%
35%
53%
55%
55%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Free transit pass
Child care support
Moving expenses/relocation
assistance
Mileage/commute reimbursement
Student loan forgiveness
Renters
Would definitely consider Would not consider
54%
40%
47%
43%
25%
19%
27%
31%
36%
49%
0%10%20%30%40%50%60%
Free transit pass
Moving expenses/relocation
assistance
Child care support
Student loan forgiveness
Mileage/commute reimbursement
Owners
Would definitely consider Would not consider
“While my husband and I make a decent salary, our student loans are absolutely crippling to our
financial mobility. We pay more than our mortgage in student loans each month. Student loan
forgiveness or a stipend towards student loans would be a huge incentive for employees
Employee survey
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Some differences are also apparent by household type:
• Couples with children most prefer commute assistance, child care and student loan
support. The same is true for single parent households, with relocation assistance also
being important.
• Employees living with roommates had the strongest interest in all programs except child
care support.
• While there was least interest in a transit pass, this would be of most interest to
roommate and single parent households.
Average Interest in Each Benefit
Scale of 1 =“Would not consider” to 5=“Would definitely consider”
Adult living
alone
Couple with
child(ren)
Couple, no
child(ren)
Single parent with
child(ren)
Unrelated
roommates
Commute
reimbursement 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.7 4.4
Free transit pass 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.8 3.0
Child care support 1.6 3.1 2.3 3.6 2.9
Student loan
forgiveness 2.8 3.1 2.9 3.4 4.3
Moving/relocation
assistance 3.2 2.9 3.0 3.8 3.9
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
Housing Programs of Interest
The survey asked employees to indicate their interest in six potential types of housing assistance
which could be considered by TTWHA. Most of these programs have been offered by employers
in other housing constrained markets.
Down Payment Assistance: Assistance in the form of a loan or a grant that helps an employee
qualify for a mortgage and afford a home. The Sierra Business Council manages a down payment
assistance program funded through the Martis Fund.
Security deposit/1st month rent: Assistance offered to employees who are relocating and need to
rent or that may need assistance getting into a different rental. It can be structured as part of
initial compensation or repaid to the employer through payroll deductions.
Ongoing rent or mortgage assistance: Could take the form of a stipend or, for renters, reduced
rent in an employer-owned or master leased unit.
Homebuyer Education and/or Financial Counseling: Classes to assist first time homebuyers to
budget, repair credit, and navigate the mortgage and home purchase process.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Home repair/renovation assistance: Providing education on and helping with access to low- or
no-cost loans to help with home renovations and repairs. Weatherization program assistance
may be available through state and federal programs.
Utility payment assistance: Assistance offered to employees to help with utility costs. May be
part of a continuing stipend or provided as part of an emergency assistance program.
Regarding employee preferences, down payment assistance, a housing stipend and assistance
with repairs/renovation were the top three preferred programs. Interest in programs varies
based on employee household characteristics:
• Employees exhibiting the most interest in all programs, and that are most in need of
assistance, include:
o Newer employees (under 5 years)
o Employees earning under $100,000 and
o Single parent and roommate households.
• Owners have the most interest in repair/renovation assistance and a housing stipend.
Repair and renovation assistance is also more favored by longer term employees (over
five years) and higher income households (over $100,000);
• Renters have the most interest in down payment assistance, a housing stipend and
homebuyer education.
• Employees of 5 years or less showed more interest than longer term employees in all
programs, indicating the strength of these programs in potentially helping to attract and
retain staff.
Please indicate which of the following types of help with housing you and your household would
have an interest in, if available?
(Scale of 1 =“Would not consider” to 5=“Would definitely consider”) Own Rent Total Average % dk* Average % dk Average % dk
Down payment assistance 3.0 13% 4.5 4% 3.6 9%
Security deposit/first month rent 2.1 17% 3.6 6% 2.7 13%
Ongoing rent or mortgage assistance
(e.g. monthly stipend) 3.2 7% 4.1 5% 3.5 6%
Homebuyer education and/or
financial counseling 2.6 10% 4.0 4% 3.2 7%
Home repair/renovation assistance 3.6 5% 3.6 9% 3.6 6%
Utility payment assistance 2.8 8% 3.5 6% 3.1 7%
*dk = “Don’t know”
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
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Other Programs
Employees were asked if there were other types of assistance they would consider. Top
recommendations include:
• Increased wage • Pet care and insurance
• Alternative work hours/work from home
• Assistance finding housing
• Child care assistance, programs, extended
hours
• Vanpool/carpool program
• Lower cost medical benefit package, help with
expenses
• Tutoring assistance per COVID homeschool
requirements
• Improved transit, transit passes
• Food/grocery and local service discounts
• Temporary winter housing for commuters
• Internal rental postings – employees
housing employees
• Upgrade/renovation support – list of
contractors, repairmen, help with permits,
etc.
Source: 2020 Employee Survey
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The TTAD and TFHD currently have housing units available for employees.
TTAD Housing: The TTAD help subsidize the construction of a stacked duplex with one 2-
bedroom and one 3-bedroom unit. The TTAD has first right of refusal when a unit become
available. The units have been in use for three years and began allowing pets this year. TTAD has
many employees that desire to “rent better” and this is an opportunity to help them do so.
The units have yet to house an airport employee. Late communication from the management
company and the prior no-pet policy has precluded TTAD employee occupancy.
TFHD Housing: The TFHD owns four (4) homes and leases eight (8) others for use by employees.
• The owned homes are used during inclement weather or for short term staff needs and
are offered free to employees.
• The leased units are for employees needing short-term accommodations. This includes:
o Interim management staff or on-call staff;
o Physicians on temporary assignment;
o Physicians or management staff relocating to the area and needing a place to stay
while they search for a more permanent home (typically one- to three-months).
• Occupants of leased units typically do not have to pay rent unless they occupy the unit
for more than three-months. Rent charged will not exceed that paid by TFHD in its lease.
• Units have not yet been made available to all TFHD staff. Units have been managed for
certain departments and staffing needs. Many departments are not aware of the
existence of these units, but would find them useful if available.
Inventory of TFHD Housing Units Type # Units Bedrooms
Owned Single family and attached homes 4 -
Leased Condominium 3 2 Apartment 3 2 Attached/Single Family 2 3
Source: TFHD
In July 2020, three units were in use and a fourth unit was pending occupancy for two months
beginning in August. Four were vacant. Typically about two units are occupied this time of year.
During a big winter is when units may be 100% occupied. All homes are typically used and
overflow employees will be provided beds in the hospital.
Current Employer-Provided Housing
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Appendix – Employee Survey Results
WSW Consulting, Inc. A-2
Employee Housing Needs and Preferences Survey
1. Please provide the zip code where your residence is located:
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
Other 0% 0% 0%
Other CA 5% 3% 4%
Other Lake Tahoe area 20% 18% 19%
Other NV 2% 1% 2%
Reno/Sparks area 19% 26% 21%
Truckee area 55% 52% 54%
#N/A 0% 0% 0%
2. Which of the following best describes your household?
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
Adult living alone 7% 14% 10%
Couple with child(ren) 53% 29% 44%
Couple, no child(ren) 28% 23% 26%
Immediate and extended family members 4% 8% 6%
Single parent with child(ren) 5% 13% 8%
Unrelated roommates 1% 10% 5%
Other 1% 2% 2%
3. Within which age categories do household members fall?
(Check ALL that apply)
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
Age 5 or younger 9% 19% 20%
6 to 17 43% 34% 30%
18 to 29 16% 23% 31%
30 to 64 89% 88% 73%
65 and over 0% 9% 6%
4. How many people live in your household? (Circle one)
N=824 Own Rent TOTAL
1 6% 14% 9%
2 32% 34% 33%
3 26% 21% 24%
4 25% 21% 24%
5 7% 5% 7%
6+ 4% 5% 4%
Average 3.1 2.9 3.0
5. Do you have pets?
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
Yes 83% 65% 76%
Dog(s) 86% 86% 86%
Cat(s) 35% 24% 31%
Other 10% 16% 12%
6. Do you own or rent your home?
N=826 TOTAL
Other 1%
Own 61%
Rent 38%
7. In what type of residence do you live?
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
Apartment / Condominium / Townhome 4% 38% 17%
Caretaker unit 0% 2% 1%
Duplex/triplex/fourplex 0% 4% 2%
Mobile home 3% 2% 3%
Other - Write In 0% 1% 1%
Single-family home/cabin 93% 52% 77%
8. How many bedrooms are in your home? (Circle one)
N=812 Own Rent TOTAL
0 or 1 1% 20% 9%
2 bedrms 12% 37% 21%
3 bedrms 60% 32% 49%
4 bedrms 24% 10% 19%
5+ 3% 1% 2%
9. When you last moved, how difficult was it to find housing that
met your needs and that you could afford?
N=819 Own Rent TOTAL
I have yet to find such housing 1% 8% 4%
Not difficult 27% 7% 19%
Moderately difficult 43% 20% 34%
Very difficult 29% 65% 43%
10. Which choice best describes your satisfaction with your
current residence?
N=826 Own Rent TOTAL
Very Satisfied 63% 24% 48%
Somewhat Satisfied 27% 41% 32%
Somewhat Dissatisfied 6% 26% 14%
Very Dissatisfied 4% 9% 6%
WSW Consulting, Inc. A-3
11. If somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, why?
(Check all that apply)
N=154 Own Rent TOTAL
Too small/overcrowded 34% 59% 52%
Too expensive 30% 56% 48%
Too far from work 23% 33% 29%
Not in desirable location 13% 18% 17%
Pets not allowed 0% 7% 5%
Needs repairs/poor condition 16% 31% 27%
Too far from transit 0% 5% 4%
Currently rent, prefer to buy 2% 56% 40%
Other 7% 15% 12%
12. How has the COVID-19 outbreak affected employment of
members of your household?
N=824 Own Rent TOTAL
No change OR (mark all that apply) 52% 47% 47%
Work hours reduced for some/all
household members 34% 35% 32%
Some/all household members have been
temporarily laid off 15% 22% 17%
Some/all household members have been
permanently laid off 3% 3% 3%
13. If household members lost part or all of their employment, how
long can you sustain your housing and other living expenses
under reduced employment status?
N=405 Own Rent TOTAL
Less than 3 months 21% 47% 31%
3 months to 6 months 25% 26% 26%
6 months or more 54% 27% 43%
ABOUT YOUR EMPLOYMENT
14. How long have you worked for (or been on contract with) the
Tahoe Forest Health System (TFHS)?
N=802 Own Rent TOTAL
Less than one year 8% 18% 12%
1 to 2 years 9% 19% 13%
2 to 5 years 24% 33% 27%
5 to 10 years 18% 18% 18%
More than 10 years 41% 12% 30%
15. For which TTWHA employer do you work?
N=828 Own Rent TOTAL
TDPUD 6% 2% 4%
TFHS 58% 69% 62%
TTAD 2% 1% 2%
TTAD - other 0% 1% 0%
TTUSD 34% 27% 32%
16. When do you plan on retiring?
N=826 Own Rent TOTAL
Within 5 years 17% 3% 11%
6 to 10 years 22% 10% 17%
More than 10 years 62% 87% 72%
17. Please rate the level to which you agree or disagree with the
following statement:
I am considering leaving my employment in part because of the high
cost of housing in the area.
N=825 Own Rent TOTAL
Strongly Agree 3% 8% 5%
Agree 6% 18% 11%
Undecided 19% 33% 25%
Disagree 30% 23% 28%
Strongly Disagree 42% 17% 32%
HOUSING AND PROGRAM PREFERENCES
18. Within the next five (5) years, would you prefer to:
N=815 Own Rent TOTAL
Stay in your current residence 63% 11% 43%
Move into a new or different home in the Tahoe
Truckee area if suitable housing were available that
you could afford to buy or rent. 26% 76% 45%
Move into a new or different home outside of the
Tahoe Truckee area. 11% 13% 12%
Why are you not interested in moving into a home in the
Tahoe Truckee area? (select all that apply)
N=90 Own Rent TOTAL
Too expensive/cannot afford 43% 69% 53%
Prefer to live in a different community/area 17% 19% 17%
Other – write in 25% 14% 20%
19. Please indicate which of the following types of help with
housing you and your household would have an interest in, if
available? (Use a scale of 1 =“Would not consider” to
5=“Would definitely consider”)
N=760 - 788
Own
Avg
Rent
Avg
TOTAL
Avg
%
unsure
Down payment assistance 3.0 4.5 3.6 9%
Help with security deposit/first month rent 2.1 3.6 2.7 13%
Monthly housing stipend 3.2 4.1 3.5 6%
Homebuyer education / financial
counseling 2.6 4.0 3.2 7%
Home repair/renovation assistance 3.6 3.6 3.6 6%
Utility payment assistance 2.8 3.5 3.1 7%
WSW Consulting, Inc. A-4
In which of the following other types of assistance would you or
your household have interest, if available? (Use a scale of 1
=“Not important” to 5=“Extremely important”)
N=760 - 788
Own
Avg
Rent
Avg
TOTAL
Avg
%
unsure
Mileage/commute reimbursement 3.5 3.9 3.6 5%
Free transit pass 2.2 2.7 2.4 8%
Child care support 2.6 3.0 2.8 11%
Student loan forgiveness 2.8 3.6 3.1 8%
Moving expenses/relocation
assistance 2.7 3.8 3.1 8%
20. Are there other types of assistance that you would consider
that are not listed above? See comments in Appendix
21. How supportive are you of your employer investing resources
in housing programs and opportunities for employees?
N=812 Own Rent TOTAL
Very supportive 46% 65% 53%
Somewhat supportive 24% 14% 20%
Neutral/No opinion 20% 14% 18%
Somewhat unsupportive 5% 2% 4%
Not at all supportive 5% 5% 5%
Why do you feel your employer should or should not invest
resources in housing programs and opportunities for
employees? See comments in Appendix
22. If your employer invested in either purchasing, building or
master-leasing rentals in the Tahoe Truckee area to lease to
employees at rents affordable for your household (i.e., paying
no more than 30% of household income for rent), would you be
interested in renting a home from your employer?
N=772 Own Rent TOTAL
Maybe/would like more information 22% 37% 28%
No 69% 12% 47%
Yes 9% 51% 25%
IF YOU ARE OR MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN RENTING FROM YOUR
EMPLOYER: (respond to Q23 – Q25)
23. Would you be interested in renting a home in (Select ALL that
apply):
N=393 Own Rent TOTAL
Truckee area 85% 88% 87%
Kings Beach area 26% 34% 30%
Incline Village area 15% 25% 22%
Tahoe City area 38% 42% 40%
Other Placer County 4% 6% 6%
Other Nevada County 7% 10% 9%
Other 5% 7% 6%
24. How many bedrooms would your household need?
N=389 Own Rent TOTAL
1 bdrm 6% 17% 13%
2 bdrm 32% 42% 38%
3 bdrm 49% 34% 40%
4+ bdrm 13% 7% 9%
25. What maximum monthly rent (excluding utilities) would you be
willing to pay for your needed bedroom size?
N=383 Own Rent TOTAL
$500 or less 1% 1% 1%
$500 to $599 1% 2% 2%
$600 to $699 1% 3% 2%
$700 to $799 4% 5% 4%
$800 to $899 3% 7% 6%
$900 to $999 6% 9% 8%
$1,000 to $1,249 16% 19% 18%
$1,250 to $1,499 22% 20% 21%
$1,500 to $1,749 19% 17% 18%
$1,750 to $1,999 13% 9% 10%
$2,000 to $2,499 10% 6% 8%
$2,500 to $2,999 3% 2% 3%
$3,000 or more 0% 0% 0%
AVG RENT $1,469 $1,346 $1,389
26. Would you have interest in purchasing a deed restricted home
in the Tahoe Truckee area?
This is a home priced below market value so that it is affordable to
purchase (affordable means that you pay no more than 30% of your
income for mortgage). The resale price, however, is also limited so
that it will be affordable for households that earn within a specified
income range (e.g., typically no more than 3% increase in value
permitted per year).
N=766 Own Rent TOTAL
Maybe/would like more information 26% 37% 31%
No 56% 11% 38%
Yes 18% 52% 31%
IF YOU WANT TO OR MIGHT WANT TO PURCHASE A DEED
RESTRICTED HOME: (respond to Q27 – Q31)
27. Would you be interested in purchasing deed restricted home in
(Select ALL that apply):
N=459 Own Rent TOTAL
Truckee area 85% 89% 88%
Kings Beach area 32% 38% 35%
Incline Village area 23% 27% 25%
Tahoe City area 41% 43% 42%
Other Placer County 8% 9% 8%
Other Nevada County 11% 10% 11%
WSW Consulting, Inc. A-5
Other 3% 7% 5%
28. How many bedrooms would your household need?
N=447 Own Rent TOTAL
1 bedroom 2% 6% 5%
2 bedroom 19% 35% 28%
3 bedroom 58% 50% 54%
4+ bedroom 16% 8% 12%
29. What type of home would you consider?
PLEASE RANK UP TO 3 CHOICES by inserting the number “1” for
your first choice, “2” for your second, “3” for your third.
FIRST CHOICE
N=453 Own Rent TOTAL
Single family home 92% 83% 87%
Tiny house (less than 600 sq. ft.) 1% 4% 3%
Townhome/Duplex (two-story) 3% 4% 4%
Condominium (stacked-flat, one-story) 2% 5% 4%
Manufactured home 2% 4% 3%
Other 0% 1% 0%
SECOND CHOICE
N=409 Own Rent TOTAL
Single family home 2% 5% 4%
Tiny house (less than 600 sq. ft.) 12% 13% 12%
Townhome/Duplex (two-story) 61% 54% 57%
Condominium (stacked-flat, one-story) 12% 12% 12%
Manufactured home 12% 15% 14%
Other 1% 2% 1%
THIRD CHOICE
N=383 Own Rent TOTAL
Single family home 3% 5% 4%
Tiny house (less than 600 sq. ft.) 11% 12% 11%
Townhome/Duplex (two-story) 17% 20% 19%
Condominium (stacked-flat, one-story) 50% 41% 45%
Manufactured home 13% 19% 17%
Other 6% 4% 5%
30. How much would you be willing to pay to purchase your FIRST
preferred home?
N=436 Own Rent TOTAL
Less than $150,000 4% 6% 6%
$150,000 - $174,999 2% 7% 5%
$175,000 - $199,999 3% 5% 4%
$200,000 - $224,999 3% 8% 6%
$225,000 - $249,999 3% 4% 3%
$250,000 - $274,999 7% 4% 6%
$275,000 - $299,999 7% 10% 9%
$300,000 - $324,999 13% 16% 15%
$325,000 - $349,999 9% 5% 7%
$350,000 - $374,999 6% 9% 8%
$375,000 - $399,999 7% 4% 5%
$400,000 - $424,999 12% 10% 11%
$425,000 - $449,999 5% 2% 3%
$450,000 - $474,999 4% 3% 3%
$475,000 - $499,999 5% 3% 4%
$500,000 or more 11% 3% 6%
Average $363,592 $309,194 $332,420
31. How much do you have available for a down payment? (Please
include the portion of home equity you could spend on a down
payment if you plan to sell a home you now own)
N=4369 Own Rent TOTAL
None 6% 17% 12%
Under $5,000 4% 6% 5%
$5,000 to $9,999 8% 13% 11%
$10,000 to $24,999 18% 37% 29%
$25,000 to $49,999 14% 9% 11%
$50,000 to $74,999 18% 12% 14%
$75,000 to $99,999 7% 3% 5%
$100,000 to $199,999 15% 3% 9%
$200,000 or more 10% 0% 5%
Average $68,599 $22,410 $42,294
WSW Consulting, Inc. A-6
32. Please indicate how important the following factors are to you
when looking for a place to live. Use a scale where 1=Not At All
Important and 5=Extremely Important.
HOME FEATURES
N=777 to 794 Own Rent TOTAL
Age - want new home 2.8 2.8 2.8
Energy efficiency 3.9 3.8 3.9
Garage/carport 4.4 4.0 4.3
Extra storage 4.0 3.7 3.9
In-unit washer/dryer 4.6 4.5 4.5
Allows pets 4.2 4.1 4.2
LOCATION CONSIDERATIONS
N=777 to 794 Own Rent TOTAL
Near to my place of work 3.8 3.9 3.8
Near to work of others in my household 3.3 3.1 3.2
Near to services (medical, groceries, etc) 3.5 3.4 3.4
Near to day care 2.3 2.2 2.2
Near to bus service 1.9 1.9 1.9
Quality of schools 3.5 3.2 3.4
Access to outdoor recreation 4.1 3.8 4.0
33. How would you feel about living in a neighborhood or building
(e.g., apartments or condominiums) that was home to a
significant number of other TFHS employees?
N=798 Own Rent TOTAL
Feel very positive about living amongst
fellow employees 24% 28% 25%
Some coworkers would be fine, but mixed
with other members of the local
community would be preferable 34% 29% 32%
It depends on the neighborhood
environment / need more info 31% 32% 32%
I do not want to live amongst other fellow
employees 12% 11% 11%
HOUSING COSTS
It is very important that we know some details about your household to
fully understand your needs. Please remember that this survey is
CONFIDENTIAL.
34. What is your household’s average monthly cost of housing?
(please enter “0” if you do not pay any of the below)
Average Own Rent TOTAL N=
Rent or mortgage $1,938 $1,547 $1,788 702
HOA $140 $140 218
Utilities $341 $281 $320 672
Child care $906 $705 $833 151
35. What is the gross annual income of all household members
combined? This is critical to our analysis of housing
affordability – your answer is confidential.
N=721 Own Rent TOTAL
Under $25,000 0% 3% 1%
$25,000 to $49,999 2% 14% 7%
$50,000 to $74,999 7% 23% 14%
$75,000 to $99,999 13% 23% 17%
$100,000 to $149,000 32% 24% 28%
$150,000 to $199,999 24% 8% 18%
$200,000 or more 22% 5% 15%
Average $149,178 $90,737 $126,699
Median $140,000 $82,000 $110,000
Households by Nevada County AMI (2020)
N=717 Own Rent TOTAL
30% to 50% 1% 6% 3%
50% to 80% 5% 19% 10%
80% to 100% 8% 20% 13%
100% to 120% 10% 10% 10%
120% to 150% 15% 21% 17%
150% to 200% 28% 13% 22%
Over 200% 32% 8% 23%
Under 30% 0% 3% 1%
36. Do you have any additional comments or suggestions related
to housing? See comments in Appendix
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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Why are you not interested in moving into a home in the Tahoe Truckee area? - OTHER
aging winters are hard
bay area has ruined truckee
CA Tax
CA taxes, future retirement
California taxes and living on a fixed income when I retire.
Cannot retire in this area, taxes are constantly increasing.
Cost
Cost of homeowners insurance has gone up tremendously Cost of living in the Tahoe Truckee area.
Cost of living and all the growth. We moved here to live in a small town‚ now not so much.
cost of living and taxes
Cost of living is very expensive here
Cost of living, Winter
cost prohibitive for needs - houses that are affordable are run down and need too much renovation
different climate
Done with snow and the people that visit
has gotten too big, overcrowded
High cost of housing compared to wages.
Husband works in Reno
I am retiring and I would like to live out of the snow and tourist areas.
I can't afford it.
I plan to retire and move out of the area.
I want to move closer to family
In part to be need my daughter and in part my property taxes are increasing so much due to multiple bond measures
limited access to home with land that is affordable, fenced and allows storage of recreation vehicles.
moved from Truckee in 2005
My views are not respected by the community. Im not welcome here by my employer nor most the employees. My view is
im a Republican. I have been made to feel dumb, a degenerate and not welcome here so Im close to just leaving since
this inst worth the pay.
Not affordable for a 3-4 bedroom house and increased land/lot size we would like to own. Not many opportunities for our
children. Desire to move away from a tourist town.
Retirement
Tahoe/truckee too expensive
Taxes
The area is attracting people who do not assimilate to the culture of Truckee/Tahoe. It is attracting people who demand
change without trying to understand the constraints of a small town.
There is absolutely no way on my salary I could afford to buy a home in truckee or tahoe. That's laughable. Reno is the
next big thing and even that is getting more expensive. If my husband and I want to start a family any time soon, we don't
want to be poor having our entire paychecks all go to a mortgage and bills. We cannot even afford to have children right
now. As much as we love it here, We've been looking to relocate unfortunately.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
A-8
Too expensive
Too expensive
Too expensive
Too expensive for what we get, taxes are insane for our home
TOURIST
truckee has grown to much for us, we like and want small town living
want to buy a house in Reno
Would like to presue education outside the area.
TENURE If somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied, why? OTHER
Own I can't afford to do repairs/upgrades. I have no garage and can't afford one
Own Mobile home Park is very strict. Not children friendly
Own winter drive from Reno to Truckee
Rent 1151
Rent AIR BNB OTHER ROOMS RENTED OFTEN
Rent expensive
Rent In my experience, affordable options in Tahoe are old, ill maintained buildings
Rent lack of options
Rent like to be closer to work
Rent Living with a Parent
Rent Living with In-Laws due to difficulty finding housing for my husband and I
Rent Living with Mom
Rent no available housing to change into
Rent no garage or storage space
Rent No local affordable housing - do not want to live in Reno, Perfer Truckee
Rent plow service sucks
Rent property mangament
Rent tenent downstairs is rude and blasts music all night
Rent Would prefer a house over and apartment
Rent Would prefer not live with my Landlord
Are there other types of assistance that you would consider that are not listed above?
1. Why not PAY hospital employees NOT to drive? Imagine if 50 people per day walked, rode their bikes, or took public
transit to work. That's 50 OPEN parking spaces. Is that worth $15/week to pay an employee not to drive? 2. Negotiate a
deal with Rad Power Bikes to provide discounts on electric bikes for employees. These are the top-selling and most reliable
electric bikes on the market. https://www.radpowerbikes.com/
A pay increase
affordable housing options for TTUSD employees
Affordable mortgage
Alternative work hours and/or work from home. Incentives to live in the District.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
A-9
An increase in wadges to offset the cost of living and commute
Any opportunity to assist in relocating to the Truckee/Tahoe area. I love my job and I love the area, it's just not reasonably
affordable.
Assistance finding suitable housing
Assistance for the above in case of divorce or separation. It would be impossible for separate living situation with the current
housing market.
Assistance in locating and securing a low cost home comparable to what we can afford in the Reno area.
Assistance with costs related to new construction/ renovation plans development. Also, defensible space costs to maintain
homeowners insurance
At this time in my life the above options would have been great when I had children at home. But not at this time.
Availability or free meals/facility provided meal(s) for staff that make the least amount of money at entry level positions (e.g.
housekeeping, patient registration, unit clerks). There can be threshold to qualify such as someone makes less than
$50,000.00 per year. This way it is applied across the board.
cannot think of any
Car payment assistance, rent assistance.
Carpool assistance
Cell phone
Cheaper /reasonable rental in community for our adult children who work in the area.
Child care support would make a tremendously positive impact on my family
Child care x 1000!!!!
Child care! Please!!!
child tuition set up accounts, like Nevada has
Childcare provided within the district, both lake side and Truckee side.
Childcare would be amazing and would help SO many employees as it is expensive and competitive
children's loan forgiveness that we are paying for
college assistance
college/ university assistance for my son
Company computer van
company sponsored van pool
Cost of living assistance. I pay an arm and a leg to live close to work and not commute from Reno.
cost of living increase for all employees
Discounts on food and services to buy local rather than go to Reno. Discount would help support for local services such as
Dry cleaning, House cleaning, Gym membership, clothing stores, etc Discount or reimbursement for Internet services. Support
for school age children during home schooling days (speaking for a friend) ie 1. small pods of children who can receive
educational supports and child care for working parents, 2. alternative work hours of elementary/Jr high school parents can
work with children on education requirements and still work from home or come into the work force at different times of the
day or weekend. Temporary housing for winter months for those living outside of Truckee. Provide centralized TFHS work
space in Reno to reduce commuting. Innovative work from home - ie Knock Knock which is virtual office spaces.
down payment assistance to buy a house
Early and late hours for child care
employee housing close to work to cut down on commute.
Expanded bus service for Truckee Tahoe area- free to public with expanded hours
financial assistance for living within the district
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
A-10
Financial assistance for rent while one adult is currently in school.
Fire mitigation assistance, tree removal is very expensive.
First time home buyers assistance.
food assistance
Food/grocery assistance
For older kids (support) in school work if we moved to kids not in school every day of the week.
Free transit pass for my son and support with after school programs
hazard pay reimbursement for those of us employees who have worked tirelessly through the pandemic and shutdown while
still maintaining a positive and happy atmosphere for our patients.
High quality subsidized childcare
Higher pay and let the employees manage their own finances.
Higher pay to keep up with the cost of living! We are getting paid a NV rate while living in CA!
Home Insurance is getting dropped due to wildfire risks. It becomes tripled in cost with CA Fair plan.
I am fortunate to own my home with my husband. I still checked "would definitely consider" for the assistance offerings above
because I think that any of those could be so helpful for other staff members in our community. For our first home, we would
have definitely considered help for a down payment .. I also still have significant school loans after 11 years of practice as an
OT. Cost of housing in California has certainly impacted how I have been able to pay off my school loans. side note, we are
so so so grateful to have discounted childcare.. any support in this area is unbelievable helpful and allows me to still work and
afford to not stay at home!
I am not a great person to take this survey. Although I can't yet retire I have the extremely good fortune to have generous
parents and although we are not even 10 percent educated, our family takes care of education and housing needs.
I had to move to Reno and commute because I could not find housing in TTUSD area. It takes over an hour to get to work on
snowy days. Regular commute is 45 minutes. I actually miss some evening activities at TTUSD because of commute.
I have lived in the area since 1989 and in this house since 2001. My responses do not reflect that of the younger teachers in
our district.
I have no children nor do I plan on having any. Assistance with the dog would help though like an occasional dog sitter when
travel is needed or board meeting nights. Or pet insurance similar to how health insurance is funded as a benefit.
I live in Reno, so I just want the home prices in Truckee to fall to a reasonable level. Otherwise, I'm staying in Reno. The
commute reimbursement would be nice, because I spend a fortune on gas.
I lived in Truckee when I was hired in 2000. I chose to move 30 miles away. Why should I expect assistance from my
employer when I made a choice?
I need help just getting work done at my outdated residence to make it safe/habitable. Would love a list of available
contractors/repairman/handyman/electricians/snow removal/maids. Especially if they're hospital employees/relatives that I can
support.
I rent rooms in my home, minimum 6 mo preferred. $775/room. We could have an internal means of posting rentals that
employees have available for other employees.
I say anything would help for sure.
I would like to emphasize that childcare is really difficult to find. Many centers do not take children under age two. TTUSD
should have a childcare center for their employees like the hospital has.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MY MEDICAL INSURANCE CONTINUE WHEN I RETIRE
I'm in need of housing. I recently lost my RV which I've lived in for the last 3 years and actively seeking housing anywhere in
the Truckee area. If you know of any place please let me know. Thanks!
I'm not interested in supporting handouts.
If there was affordable housing available so a mortgage did not occupy such a high percentage of our monthly household
income.
If there was help from the county or district to convert unused space in our home into a one bedroom apartment, we would be
interested in renting to teachers or other district employees.
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
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A-11
If we can add on to our home within the next 5 years, we will do that - and assistance would absolutely help us be able to do
that. But if not, we may look into upgrading to a larger home, but we're not confident we could find something that would meet
our needs (due to cost).
If we didn't have family that was willing and able to financially support us I would mark everything above as a 5.
Im a white middle class male, there is no assistance offered to me.
Improved local public transit. More inclusive routes and more/better time options.
Insurance resources and assistance
Internet payment assistance and homeowner internet improvements
It is expensive to live and work in the Truckee/Tahoe area. Any assistance is greatly appreciated; very grateful for the
opportunity.
just missing a down payment. living in Truckee makes it difficult as a single person, the first in her family to graduate from
college, to save for a down payment. Truckee is very expensive to live in and I have been here 25 years.
Like the Placer County Sheriff's office we should consider monthly living stipends, or medical insurance offsets.
list of rentals: rooms, apartments, houses....updated thru a link.
Living in low income is hard for teachers because it means living with students. We need a separate area where we can be
essential employees. It sounds odd but we r like celebrities in a way and need separation from our student population. Paying
1500.00 for a one bedroom apartment with no garage is criminal. That price doesn't even include utilities. Its very hard in
Truckee when we all have skis , bikes etc. Coburn Crossing wasn't allowed to put in a pool and gym because our local rec
center thought it competitive. But Liv studio etc is near the rec center so thats terrible of the rec center. Also true full time
workers need an area away from seasonal party workers and 20 year old workers. Also building that are pet friendly and
buildings that are not. Some people have allergies. And putting families on one floor together is better than mixing them with
people who don't have kids on a floor.
Loan/grant programs for home improvement for local homeowners who work in the community
medical bill assistance
mental health, time for employees to exercise, health coach
monthly stipend for living expenses for those who work & live in Truckee Tahoe area
More RV parks! Or RV hookups at the hospital.
My biggest challenges lie in the cost of childcare, and the large student loan debt I have. Even then, I feel I am adequately
reimbursed at my job here and funding should go to others who are struggling.
No. I was lucky enough to buy a home 29 years ago in the Truckee basin when homes were still affordable.
Not at the moment.
Not that I can think of at the moment.
Not that I can think of.
On-site housing when snowed in for pharmacy personnel, last years I missed a few days of work due to road condi tions.
Onsite childcare.
Paid maternity leave!!!!!!!
Pay raise equal to TDPUD Managements current raise
Pet care assistance
Physical moving assistance
Programs for single mothers that are first time buyers.
Regarding #20: a.) Would only consider free transit pass if a transit system from my neighborhood to my work and back
existed. It currently does not. b.) Would LOVE student loan forgiveness for son's college expenses. c.) I would LOVE TTUSD
to pay full amount for health care for retirees. I could afford to retire now, but can not due to health care costs. This would be a
win win situation since it would cost less to pay retirees health care than to hire new teachers lower on salary schedule.
reimbursement for bike to work. Allowance toward e-bike
TTWHA Employee Housing Needs Study (September 2020)
WSW Consulting, Inc.
A-12
Relief of health care costs/insurance
Rental discounts for TTUSD employees who don't qualify for low-income housing. Corburn Apts only provides 10% discount
which is peanuts when a studio goes for $1,325 and does not include utilities.
Salary differential for living in Truckee. Most employers here do not pay salaries or hourly wages that meet with the cost of
living in Truckee/Tahoe.
Ski pass discount!
Solar installation
stipend for living in very expensive location
Student Loan forgiveness would just be phenomenal. For my family, this would be almost life changing as we could save this
amount every month for even one year could be a significant portion towards a down payment on a "reasonable" moderate
home.
Student Loan forgiveness. That is huge. A serious problem, especially for teachers with advanced degrees.
Subsidized housing for employees that do not require a 2 year waiting list, and that are safe.
Support remote working permanently.
System home financing at reduced interest rates. Stipend for those that provide 24/7 coverage and may be called into the
hospital/live in Truckee
The option to work from home a day or two per week if I had to move to Reno to obtain affordable housing.
To be clear, I am married to someone who owns a home so my answers are not what they would be if I were single. I would
be interested in any/all of the assistance for housing in this area if I were single and/or my husband didn't own his home.
town of truckee permitting relief--it is very tough to get permitting for any type of home upgrade in this town due to the high
cost, slow response time, and multiple hurdles the town of truckee poses.
Transit is free
Tuition reimbursement for per diems based on years of service, not on current employment status (per diem vs FT/PT) or
numbers of hours worked in a week.
Tutoring assistance for children due to Covid 19 and parents needing to homeschool or distance learning.
Type of housing i.e. house vs apartment
Unsure
We have lived her for more than 25 years and our mortgage is paid off. We could use a better, less expensive medical
benefit package.
With the $400 Wellness money, able to put it towards a ski pass. With COVID, I'm not joining a gym, can't get a massage,
already have 2 fit-bits. Need to use the money towards some outdoor activity, something that I enjoy to do.
Work from home when weather and roads are bad.
Why do you feel your employer should or should not invest resources in housing programs and opportunities for
employees?
VERY SUPPORTIVE
Should
Yes! They should invest the resources. When the cost of living is what it is here in Truckee and the available housing far
exceeds what someone who is not in a 6 figure job could ever afford, the town loses its core. It loses those that have been
here their entire life but, due to rising housing costs and cost of living increases, can no longer sustain a life here. To live here
and love it here we have to be able to go home without the stress of paying a mortgage or rent that is blown out of proportion
with what we could ever hope to afford. Many people who work in the district, including myself, have had to move to Verdi or
Reno to find something in our price range. Now we have a commute to work but are more likely to have a house we can go
home to or are able to pay a lower rent every month. However, to achieve that, we have had to remove ourselves from the
community that we have grown to love and have been an integral part of through our students and coworkers. I understand
this area is an expensive place but if you don't make an effort for those that aren't making 6 figures the town will no longer
have the community feel we once had and will consist of "the have's". The "have not's" will commute in every day to serve
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those affluent enough to be here and then drive home, sometimes through a blizzard, to get back to our families 25 plus miles
away once we get off work. Something definitely needs to change. Truckee is losing its sense of community as this continues
to happen more and more.
75% of the employees at TFH district live out of the area and commute. The cost of living for the Tahoe/Truckee/NLT area is
ridiculous and unsustainable.
affordability, job security, keeping employees happy, keep employees employed for long period of time, cost of living keeps
rising and Truckee has become extremely expensive to live.
Affordable housing is almost nonexistent in Truckee. Keeping a dependable work force in the area will rely on helping
locals/employees afford to live here.
Affordable housing is nearly non-existent in Truckee/Tahoe and any and all help is important to maintain our workforce.
Affordable housing is such a big problem. It will help our employees, AND it will help improve our workforce by making it more
competitive to get a job with TFHS - and make it more realistic for good employees to accept a job here.
Although we get a great wage working at TFHD it does not keep up with the rising costs of housing,taxes and utilities in
Truckee.
An investment in housing is an investment in keeping people in the community and thus in the community itself.
As district employees I think we should have more opportunities to try and stay local. Several employees end up moving to
Reno so they can make ends meet and keep their jobs. We're losing talented people because the housing market in the area
is out of control.
Assistance for employees in housing reduces the stress of making ends meet, which in turn may improve productivity as well
as moral during these uncertain times. Rent is typically a large percentage of income as well as utilities.
attract and retain good teachers for our students
Attracting new talent to our district as well as maintaining current staff. It seems particularly challenging for single individuals
to afford to live here and that makes us lose out on potential employees, which are our best resource and asset!
be a member of housing council. Assist community solutions for workforce housing.
because employees need to be able to afford a place to live. And not live day by day thinking of getting evicted because of not
being able to pay rent.
Because if we want to keep good teachers, police, nurses and fire fighters in our town we should help them. Tahoe Dave's
does this. Think of it as offsetting training costs of new hires
Because our wages sometimes do not match up to the housing market here. And or daycare.
Because the cost of living is ridiculous here and it is darn near impossible to find a house for less than half a million dollars. I
can work 40 hours a week and never have money to buy that. And I budget monthly and am frugal.
Because the housing around truckee is so expensive.
Because the town council has dropped the ball. Truckee is no longer affordable for most people.
being able to live in an high cost resort community with stability takes away some pressure of the seasonal fluctuations our
area experiences.
cost of living in our area is high and we need employees who live in our own community, it brings more "ownership" to the
hospital system.
Difficult to recruit qualified staff that are willing to live in our winter environment.
Due to housing costs, it's difficult to find and keep good employees
During the winter conditions and construction times during the summer we are required to get up even earlier to get to work,
but it's very risky as we don't know how driving conditions are. Investing in housing resources will allow employees to be local
and feel like our employer values their employees and care about our safety.
Easier to attract & retain talent
Employers will benefit from having better qualified locally based employees.
Ensures our community stays intact
equal opportunity for all, keep the working force in the area
Even though I am required to get my ECE degree for my position and continue my yearly professional development, I make
the lowest amount of money on the lowest tier on the pay scale rating at $17/hr and they expect me to make a living off of
that. It's a joke, but I love my job. The least they can do is help with affordable housing
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Every time I have to find a new place to rent it is a huge struggle. The availability of places to rent is small and expensive or
won't line up with the time frame I need to rent. Having my employer offer some sort of ease to the burden would be one of
the more valuable benefits to me.
Everyone who works and lives in the Tahoe basin deserves the opportunity to become homeowners if that is their wish. I
moved here in the 80s and it was achievable then... as it should be now!
For recruitment and retaining HQ educators for our schools. Educators and school staff should be of the community and for
the community. One of our guiding principles is as follows: Schools, families and the community are partners in helping
students develop a sense of ownership for their learning. What better way to do this than to have TTUSD staff living where
they work!
Having employees closer to their employment is especially important when there is traffic congestion or bad weather issues.
Allows employees better and easier access . makes it easier for employees to meet their employment requirements.
Housing assistance would help staff remain in the community, reduce the number of people who commute and increase the
well being of those employees and their families. It would also mean more people spending their money in the community.
Housing costs are a barrier to our district hiring the best possible staff.
Housing costs in truckee exceed recommended housing costs per month for the salary levels of most hospital employees
Housing has gotten out of control in Truckee. I am in support of anything the district can do to help staff afford to live and work
in Truckee. I feel fortunate that I bought at the bottom of the market but too many of my colleagues are not fortunate enough
to have an affordable place to live which is very sad
Housing is a basic necessity of Life. For me, I do NOT feel safe renting a home. Everyday now when someone slows down
as they pass our house that we rent, I get a sick feeling in my stomach. I do not feel safe. I am not a professional, but I have
worked here for more than 10 years. Unfortunately, realistically how much longer can I live here?
Housing is a big need in our community. It's hard to find a house to rent and rent is very expensive. To buy a house in this
area is near impossible on a teacher's salary. I don't know how new teachers can afford to work and live in this area.
Housing is a major concern for this area. We have considered leaving this town, because we don't believe we can afford a
home that would fit our growing family. To remain competitive for teachers we need to make it easier to afford good housing
here - for the long term.
Housing is key to keeping good teachers and community members in the community. One of the reasons we would never
consider a travel reimbursement program is because we want to be a part of the community where I teach. It is critical to be
able to attend events, see students, parents and community members out and about town.
Housing prices are high in the area and it is important for employers to support their employees and community.
I am in a position where I own my home and am comfortable, but I know this is not the case for many other employees.
I am personally set up well with housing but many of my friends have been unable to afford to buy a home or afford rent as
the costs just keep increasing each year and many salaries in the area have remained at a standstill. I have had multiple
friends move from the area to find affordable housing. It is something all employers in Tahoe need to take seriously or there
will not be employees here to do the work.
I believe a lot of employees would benefit from a housing project that is affordable depending on income.
I believe all income levels are needed to make our hospital successful. Not everyone wants to or can afford to commute to
work.
I believe my employer should invest in resources in housing programs and have opportunities available for staff because it is
so hard to find housing close by that is affordable to live in. It took me a long time to find housing that was what we neede d
within an affordable range. we did eventually find one and moved in on 07/13/2020 and could have really appreciated some
sort of help in that process.
I believe that good employees are the backbone of any organization. In order to recruit and keep these people, they have to
be able to afford to live locally on what we pay them. Revolving doors with respect to staff are a detriment to the organization.
I believe that investing in employees, my employer would increase overall happiness of its employees. This kind of investment
helps build moral, loyalty, and trust in the employer.
I believe there is a majority of employees who have moved to the Reno/ Carson area because rent here is expensive for a
small place.
I believe we are looking at a serious housing crisis in this area, especially for those in my age group and with my salary. I am
well compensated for my job and still absolutely struggle to afford a reasonably priced home in the Truckee/Tahoe area.
Especially during Covid pandemic I am seeing multiple homes being sold to newcomers, local residents do not even have a
chance in buying these homes as many are being bought with cash and over the asking price. It is becoming a true concern
for myself and many others who work/live here. Having help from the hospital in getting access to more affordable housing or
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offering assistance with housing would be monumental. I am unsure what this is going to look like in the next 2-3 years but
many of these homes remain second homes for these people and it leaves open homes with no residents and others that live
her permanently are unable to buy homes.
I bought my home 32 years ago. I would not be able to buy a home today with the high prices.
I do think my employer should have housing opportunities because it is definitely too expensive to live on your own in Truckee
and that is why a lot of people live in Reno, even with gas they can afford to live alone. Truckee studio= $1200; Reno
studio=$800
I feel as a community that relies heavily on employees rom outlying areas it is in great interest for the hospital to provide
housing programs for its employees.
I feel as if TFH should invest in housing programs that allow for vesting after X number years of service.
I feel it is a great opportunity for the employer to invest in housing programs. A lot of the time we cannot hire people because
they cannot afford to commute here and also can not afford to live here. This creates a shortage of adequate staff especially
for certified/licensed positions. Also, it is nice to have people who live here work here because on big snow days most people
cannot make it up from Reno/Auburn. (Freeway closed...)Then it leaves it up to those who live here to carry the load. I have
lived here 20 years and cannot afford to buy a home but would love to. If we lost our rental there is a big chance we would
have to leave the area. There is close to nothing to rent and we cannot afford to buy a house.
I feel it is crucial for employees to perform at their optimal level of work which starts/ends at their home. A home is somewhere
you can go to after every shift and rest. It is very important in daily life and health!
I feel it would help keep employees here at Tahoe forest more long term, if living in Reno the commute can be quite strenuous
not only on vehicles but also being away from your family additional hours in a day.
I feel like if an employer invests resources in housing programs, it's investing in the quality of service from employees. It's a 2
way commitment.
I feel my employer should defiantly invest resources in housing programs and opportunities. Our community is seriously
lacking affordable equal housing. I personally make to much to afford low income housing, but make not close enough to
survive on my own supporting my 3 children. I have struggled to find housing for many years. Being forced to live in Reno and
commute or live in my parents home. I also find it hard to deal with 5 year wait lists and limited affordable options.
I feel my employer should invest resources in housing programs because the cost to live in Tahoe/Truckee continues to
increase. I am currently paying as much or more in rent than if I could buy my own home but the down payment makes it
impossible to buy.
I feel my employer should invest resources in housing programs/opportunities for new, young employees because we need to
retain and attract quality educators in Tahoe Truckee. Most young employees can't afford to buy a home here and they can't
find a place to rent due to all the short term rentals. We bought our home in 1991. There is no way we would be able to afford
a home in Tahoe City today.
I feel our employer should invest in the community and allow employees to feel like they can afford to live where they work.
I feel that it would improve retention and overall sense of well-being for employees.
I FEEL THAT MY EMPLOYER SHOULD INVEST RESOURCES IN HOUSING PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR
THE EMPLOYES BECAUSE IT WOULD TAKE OFF THE STRESS OF EITHER COMMUTING FROM NV OR PAYING HIGH
LIVING COSTS IN TAHOE/TRUCKEE AREA. NOT ONLY DO I BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD TAKE THAT STRESS OFF, BUT
IT WOULD DEFINITLEY LOWER THE TURNOVER RATE IF YOU PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN MILEAGE/COMUTING
REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EMPLOYEES LIVING OUT OF THE TRUCKEE/TAHOE AREA.
I feel that there is not enough housing for local employees. This would benefit the district employees.
I feel the cost of living in comparison to the salaries does not match. It would be great if there was more support.
I feel they should because it helps the employees which makes them happy and end up doing a good job.
I feel they should invest in resources in housing programs because that is the one factor that will determine whether or not I
will stay in Tahoe long term. I want to buy a home but it does not seem very realistic in the Tahoe area.
I feel TTUSD should invest in housing programs. The best thing about the TTUSD area are the teachers are a part of the
community. Their kids are part of the district and this is their community. They are invested in this area wholeheartedly.
When teachers live someplace else we lose the community and investment. Teaching here becomes solely a job. We lose
all of the community investment and involvement. The question is which kind of teachers do you want teaching our kids in the
TTUSD.
I had to move out of truckee to afford to buy a home.
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I have been in my house since 1990 before theyprices sky rocketed but I feel the housing situation for renters is horrible.
I have lost a lot of friends who had to move from the area because of lack of housing/jobs and the ones that have stayed work
soo much its hard to have fun with them anymore and the lack of interest in even going to an expensive restraunt or event in
town.
I have worked in the access center for about 18 months and most people commute from Reno. It does seem like there is
higher turnover because the drive does get to employees and it is hard to keep fully staffed all year long.
I left my previous employer in the bay area for this exact reason: I was not earning a livable wage and lost my lease on my
apartment. I feel my (new) current employer goes above and beyond to ensure the employees are paid a fair wage.
I like the idea but do not feel they should be required to assist. the town needs to push policies that encourage and drive down
the cost of housing specifically for local employee's. A hard task when lost of people would like to live here and people can
game the system even when they dont need the help.
I moved to Truckee 23 years ago and was fortunate to be able to buy a home at a reasonable price. I could never do that
today. We are going to continue to lose out on talent if we can't find a way to provide affordable housing in this area.
I think it is a good to live in the community where you work, if you desire.
I think it is a great idea to help the local community members and employees to find suitable housing in an ever increasing
price market. With the influx of people from all over the market to rent or buy has become out of reach for many local
employees. Assistance with this could be very beneficial to keeping employees employed in our Health System.
I think it's important for employees receive competitive compensation relative to cost of living. This is why I am I a strong
supporter of a housing stipend. I think the average Truckee employee will come to realize that common aspirations such as
home ownership, having kids, or retiring at a decent age is nearly impossible in Truckee due to the gap between wages and
cost of living. As a result, employees will relocate to communities and jobs that can accommodate their lifestyle aspirations .
I think my employer should definitely invest in housing opportunities for employees in order to retain some of the good
employees in lower paying jobs who do not own houses. The housing market is very challenging here for people who did not
buy houses years ago when things were priced more reasonably. You might want to wait and determine who is most
valuable/committed to the organization and the most in need of housing assistance to make sure that it is given to the right
people.
I think my employer should invest resources in housing programs in order to keep quality employees around and a part of the
community.
I think that my employer should invest resources in housing programs and opportunities for employees, to have more
productive and happier employees.
I think there is a large need for it in our community.
I think they should because this area is uniquely expensive and to afford a house here is nearly impossible for the average
person. People are happier if they can live where they work, especially if it is as beautiful of a place as here.
I think they should invest. We are seriously looking at moving out of the area because it is so expensive. Assistance could
help people stay in the area.
I think they should who needs help during this time for sure.
I think with how truckee is that many employees are looking outside of truckee for living. It would help keep retention at the
hospital.
I was one of the lucky to buy in 2011 at the bottom of the market and I had help from my family. I'm fine but I do acknowledge
that it is nearly impossible for teachers trying to get in the market now. I think that employers should be in the fight for
affordable houses. When teacher commute from Reno they usually only last a year or two before they grow tired of the drive.
I would be very happy to have this. I am a single divorced parent that struggles to make it in Truckee. I have 2 kids and live in
a 2 bedroom condo.
I would like to see TDPUD support employees buying or renting within our service territory and offer assistance to new
employees moving here from out of the area because this is an expensive place to live.
If quality teachers and staff are leaving the district because of housing opportunities (or lack thereof), then it would benefit the
district and OUR STUDENTS to invest in housing programs.
If the employer is unable to increase pay to allow for housing affordability then assistance in housing is the only other option.
If the hospital wants good employees, it may be necessary to assist employees. This area has become the new Aspen--it is
ridiculously expensive--prohibitively so for people who work in this area.
If the hospital wants to continue to employee hundreds of workers in the area, it makes sense for it to make this a viable
option for people to afford to live in the community they work.
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If there was a way to have employee housing that was lower cost and owned/operated by the district or community rather
than 2nd homeowners looking to make money off of the income in Tahoe. It would be great to be able to hire fresh out of
college but with cost of living and all the other costs associated with moving to Tahoe (4WD vehicles/ snow removal/ high
utilities etc) it's hard to afford it on startup salary but becomes more manageable a few years in unfortunately it's hard to hang
on long enough to make it there.
If these assistance programs help TFHD keep employees because the housing market is exploding, then I think they should.
We need affordable homes/housing to house those workers whose wage does not suffice for living conditions that are
reasonably close to the hospital.
If they have the means to do it, why not?
IF we are trying to hire employees to match our student population, then I believe we need to invest in resources that allow
our Latino employees to live within the community in housing.
If you keep your employees in Truckee, you keep them invested in keeping Truckee a town where one can live AND work.
If you want quality employees, they should be taking care of as much as the district is able.
If you want to build or maintain a solid team, then investing in them buy assisting with sustainable long term housing will keep
them around. Sometimes even a well paying job isn't enough keep people afloat to stay and enjoy this beautiful place we call
home. It has crossed my mind that I might not be able to do the things I dream of doing in this location simply out of the cost
to live here. You definitely make a sacrifice to live here. Sometimes the things that bring you joy are outweighed by the cost.
In order to be more available to work, especially in the winter when the commute from Reno is horrible, I think it would benefit
our community as a whole to have employees closer. If there is a way to make that possible, I think it would be easier to retain
your current employees as well as recruit new employees.
In order to get and keep valuable employees they need somewhere affordable to live.
In order to have good, reliable employees, they must have a safe place to call home.
In order to recruit and retain new staff and young teachers the town needs to do something so young people can afford to live
here. Also, the town will die if they don't fix this. I've seen the same thing happen in Napa 35+ years ago. Dropping
enrollment in schools, the maternity ward closing due to a ZERO birth rate...it was a real crisis. They implemented some
great housing programs that actually helped my younger brother, his new wife, and baby own their very first home. It can be
done, we just have to decide who we want in this town. Wealthy people and infrastructure staffed with people who are
bussed in from Reno, or a real vital community with people of all ages and socioeconomic levels. Frankly, I vote for the
second...that's the town I came here for back in 1993. Truckee was a working class, family oriented community with a vital
work force. Now, I stay in my little niche, rarely go downtown, and hardly recognize my home town. My adult children wanted
to live here, all are professionals, college educated, and have blessed me with 5 grandchildren. None of them could afford to
buy a home here (even with a healthy $600K budget) and put their children in our schools. So they all moved away and took
their families to other communities.
In this area, if there is housing assistance available, all staff should be eligible regardless of time in district, current housing, or
rate of pay.
Investing in affordable housing resources ensures that professionals will have adequate housing and amenities at our modest
wages. Currently owning a home in the area seems daunting secondary to wage to mortgage ratio
INvesting in housing for employees now, will help ensure a qualified workforce and stability.
INVESTING IN HOUSING WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR RETAINING GOOD EMPLOYEES
Investing in resources for housing programs is an exceptional idea, it makes it very convenient for employees to get to work
safe and on time (this is especially true during winter); giving us peace of mind. It will also give us more time of the day,
especially for workers from out of the area who have children or caring for someone at home. It is also convenient for our
employers because they'll have their employees closer to the hospital for any immediate needs.
Investing in your employees is sure way to recruit higher quality applicants and a higher likelihood of retaining quality
employees.
Investing in your employees, and being able to keep current employees that don't make as much in the area.
It is becoming increasingly more difficult for locals to compete in this housing market. Employers will need to take action to
keep employees here.
It is beneficial to the employees and employer.
It is difficult for a single individual to own a home in the tahoe truckee area
it is expensive to live here and it could be an excellent way to attract and retain staff.
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It is extremely hard to hire good staff that will stay and I feel that one of the reasons is that people cannot afford to live in the
area. They find commuting to Truckee or Incline to be hard (especially during winter). The cost of rent in the area is really
high and the drive from Reno or Carson City is too long. I feel we could keep good employees if they could afford to live
closer.
It is hard to find affordable housing up here. We need places for all the employees to be able to live comfortably
It is hard to find and keep quality employees in this area. When we do they have a hard time with the living expenses. We
have lived here 20 years and still cannot afford to buy a home.
It Is imperative to make sure housing is accessible in order to have a workforce and to make sure our employees are not
stressed due to the Social Determinants.
It is important to have local housing in order to get good people for the district. Winter driving is hazardous, so less miles to
travel to get to work on a storm day is a great benefit.
it is important to invest in resources such as housing due to the limitations of available housing and the rising costs to live in
the area. Shortages of staff are increasing due to the cost of living.
It is the right thing to do to invest in employees that are committed to the institution. Happier employees make happier
patients.
It is very expensive to live in the Truckee-Tahoe area. I think a lot of employees would like to live here but have to commute
from the Reno area due to prices.
It is very expensive to live up here as well as very few rentals available for new teachers. The housing market is priced out of
the range of beginning teachers. Several of our teachers live and commute from Reno because the housing market in the
area
It may be the difference in finding employees who live in town and don't commute from other areas. Cost of living too high for
most blue collar workers in this area.
it offers options not only for our community but our employees. Helping others and being able to help even just a little goes a
long way.
It would assist the organization in attracting and keeping quality employees if assistance was available in this high cost
housing environment
It would be an investment in attracting qualified employees
It would be helpful so that teachers can focus on their jobs instead of basic needs like a roof over our heads.
It would benefit TFH and the employees. Less commute in bad weather and less traffic commute. Less call ins being late
during bad weather
It would make it affordable for new teachers.
It's important for our community to have affordable housing.
It's important to help retain employees
It's not that I feel they should, I would just like it if they did. I would love to live closer to my work and I love this community, it's
just more expensive than Reno.
Its getting more and more expensive to afford renting, having to move further from work puts a burden on us when you have
your kids in school in one city but work in another. Long term rentals are very hard to find and is pushing away the working
people who need the housing.
Its something they do not need to do, but its amazing they are considering it!
Keep talented and hard to find positions at TFHS. Prevent turn over Housekeeping, Dietary, Child care Teachers, lab tech,
Clerical supports. Work/life balance when time and expense is not used for commuting to work.
Local employees/community members could use all the help possible with the current state of the area housing market.
lower rent
Lucky, I bought a home several years ago. However; it is very hard for families to live here. Such a expensive place to live
and no affordable housing for our employees.
maintaining and investing in a stable work force allowing employee's to be part of the local community
many employees struggle with housing or commute from far away because of the lack of housing or lack of affordable
housing in truckee Tahoe area. It could potentially help many employees not need to work multiple jobs just to afford rent up
here.
Many of employees I'm sure are having financial struggles, especially due to COVID. I'm sure those of us renting and paying a
mortgage can benefit from it.
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Many of my coworkers and I drive between 30 and 60 min, one way, to get to work. Because of housing issues, we're not
really part of the community that we serve. I think we would have better work/life balance, be better tuned to the community,
and overall provide better care if we could afford housing near our work sites.
Many people are moving to Reno or Carson because it is so difficult to find affordable housing. I am fully supportive of the
district investing in housing to help us maintain our wonderfully diverse community.
My situation is unusual for an employee that live in the Truckee area. I know more people than not that would love not to
commute from the Reno area and live, rent in Truckee but our housing costs makes it prohibitive to live in our community. It
would be nice to continue to have staff that is connected to our community.
My staff cannot afford to live in the area, many commute from Reno. Those who want to purchase a home struggle without
assistance from parents.
NA
One of my favorite things about working at Tahoe Forest Health System is taking care of the people in the community I live. I
love this community and I think it is important for staff to live in the community.
One of the reasons I did not pursue housing in this area was out of pocket cost. Having the option of getting assistance to live
closer would have factored into my decision when I purchased our home.
Our community does not take care of their locals. This local community caters the 2nd homeowners first.
Our employer should invest in housing opportunities to retain their staff. It is very stressful not knowing where you will live
when you get a notice that your rental home is being sold. I have been unable to find a home before and had to live behind
someone's garage for 3 months. My son couldn't even crawl because of the lack of space.
Over the past couple years I think we can all agree housing has skyrocketed. and for younger generations its becoming
harder and harder to become young homebuyers. I think even for some of us maybe like a credit building or repair workshop
would be beneficial. I think truckee forest looking into helping with housing is amazing. I just would not be able to afford the
housing up here on my own. but if I did live up here I would save hundreds of dollars on gas as well as putting 120 plus miles
on my vehicle here and back.
Part of the experience of working for this system should be enjoying and appreciating the community that they service.
Quality teachers and support staff may stay or be easily recruited with district housing support.
Recruiting and maintaining staff is difficult given the expense of living in this area. Support could potentially help recruit and
maintain needed staff.
Recruitment and retention is major driver but also playing a leadership role in the community and leveraging resources are
key opportunities.
Retain good employees and decrease stress.
Retain new and highly qualified teachers
retention of employees
Right now we are losing families to Reno and Carson who are valuable employees and members of the overall community.
We are going to experience intense upper class whitewashing, as the depression/recession caused by COVID hits and even
more families move to NV, and wealthy families from the Bay area move to Tahoe. This should not be a community only for
rich people.
Should consider to decrease turn over and increase job satisfaction, and work/life balance.
SHOULD do this, as it is necessary!
should invest resources in order to retain valuable employees
Should!
Should.. As one of the largest employers in the Tahoe Truckee area they have a direct interest in the success of there
employess and those who reside in the communtiy.
simply put - shelter is a basic human right.
so employees can live in the community where they work
support housing for employees. Involvement with the town on affordable housing units.
Supporting housing programs would keep employees local therefore commuting to and from Reno, especially during difficult
winter months, wouldn't be an issue. Resources such as these would expand the potential hiring pool and help retain
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employees. Offering school forgiveness would encourage employees to advance their educations without concerns of
drowning in student debt or inability to pay rent. It shows that TFHS believes and invests in their employees.
Tahoe Forest does a lot for its employees, this would not only be very generous, it would help a lot of families within the
community. It would also set a high bar for other organizations around the Tahoe/Reno area.
Tahoe/Truckee is a hard place to move to because it is expensive to get a place.
TFHD already is such a wonderful asset to the North Tahoe Community, I think helping employees with housing issues should
be a natural part of operation.
TFHD is a huge employer for the area and our collective voice can help the Town of Truckee understand the need, value and
importance of creating, maintaining and providing affordable workforce housing for rentals as well as give preference to the
local working class when purchasing a home.
The amount of rentals in the area is so minimal that staying in this area may become impossible
The changing economy is slowly creating an non-sustainable housing market for the community of Tahoe/Truckee.
The cost of housing in Tahoe Truckee is prohibitive for new and seasoned teachers. The only reason we can afford our house
is because we have a sweetheart deal. Otherwise housing is too expensive for working people.
The cost of housing in Truckee is way too high for most people.
The cost of living in this area is extremely expensive resulting in employees having to live out of the area and having longer
commute times.
The cost of living in this area is getting very expensive.
The cost of living is so high in truckee. I believe that employee retention would be a benefit of housing programs and
oppurtunities for employees
The employer counts on the community to stay open and active and productive, so the only way that can keep happening is
have our young adult working community stay in Truckee
the high cost of living in the area combined with wages do not make it easy for people to find suitable housing. Therefore the
employer, in this case, could help greatly with housing assistance
The local cost of owning/renting homes is astronomical compared to teacher salaries (or any reimbursement in education, for
that matter) in this community. I think it falls on everyone in the community to help in this matter.
The median house in Truckee is around $600,000. The rent is comparable to bay area prices. It is difficult to attract and
retain talented educators if they are taking a reduction in pay and do not see a reduction in the cost of living.
The middle class can not afford to live in Truckee, no middle class, no community.
The Tahoe-Truckee Area is way overpriced for the amount of income people earn at in town jobs.
The TDPUD could explore options such as investment in transitional housing for recruitment (new hire), investing in houses
for employee affordable rentals, or local housing assistance with terms and conditions.
The Town of Truckee needs qualified, competent workers. Cost of living is creating a problem for many.
There are a lot of teachers retiring within the next five years, which means younger people being hired and moving to
Truckee/Tahoe full time. If we want to retain these teachers and build a strong community, they need a place to live (including
myself). I have had to move EVERY single year since coming to Truckee 5 years ago and that creates a lot of uncertainty and
stress throughout the school year.
There is a big investment to be lost if talented emplyees are forced to leave due to housing affordability/availability.
There is not enough housing, and there is not enough affordable housing. People have to travel in hazardous conditions
majority of the year.
There would be more employee retention and it would diminish expenses and benefit the district.
they do a great job for us in the winter time.
They should help their employees since so many people are moving to town and taking the houses that employees live in.
They would have more people to draw from outlining areas
this type of investment could keep good people working in their positions longer= less turn over in staff. I know for a lot of
better paying positions there is not much turnover in our organization, which is part of what makes our hospital so wonderful
to work for... However, a lot of the support staff have to commute from else where and I think there are higher turnover rates
there... I know many of our Therapy Techs commute, struggle to find rentals.. and many of them leave because they are
going off to school.. but more supports might attract people to those positions that may stay longer?
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This would greatly assist the employees who continue to dedicate their working lives to the Health System. An opportunity to
live and work in the same space would help create long term relationships - which is incredibly valuable for the Health System
and would also help create a more satisfied workplace.
To attract and retain good employees, it is an investment to secure these individuals. Investing in housing resources would be
beneficial for the employee, district and ultimately our students. I would be in favor of the district exploring ways to help our
staff who need housing assistance.
To attract highly qualified candidates to jobs
To attract the best quality people and promote a culture of employees that want to stay long term in their positions or within
the company.
To bring young teachers to the area and help them afford housing
To get good employees
To help those in the community find affordable housing and still continue to work at TFH.
to keep great staff here and not stressed
To support and retain the highest quality employees possible
Truckee is a strong community with amazing people. We want to live, play and work here. Affordable single family homes
with a garage is what we want. I feel the Airport can be a huge player in fulfilling that need.
Truckee/Tahoe region is extraordinarily expensive due to it's resort status and the influx of extremely wealthy non-locals (I
guess I am technically a non-local). It will be difficult to retain the highest caliber of teacher if the affordability of living in the
community is not addressed somehow. That affordability barrier is what keeps me commuting an hour each way in good
conditions.
Turn over rate and employee retention would be impacted in a positive way, specially for those that commute every day from
Reno. I commute 100.00 miles per day to be here. I know many team mates actively look for other opportunities specially
during winter months to avoid driving 80 back and forward from Reno.
Very difficult for us to recruit and retain lower paid employees (e.g. MAs, receptionists). Most live in Reno due to lower cost of
living but when employment market is strong, our wage differential and culture may not be enough to overcome commute time
and cost and CA income tax. Would be best if they could live here affordably.
We live in a very unique area. A tourist area. Those making quite a bit more money from the Bay Area swoop in, causing
biding wars, and pay for their home (which they rent) with cash. The workforce in Truckee does not have a chance to
purchase homes or rent homes for reasonable prices. It's terrible. I am deeply concerned that our public safety officers and
health care workers cannot afford to live in the town that is desperately dependent upon them and would be in terrible shape
without these fine people.
We need awesome teachers in our community who can afford to live here,
We need to attract the most qualified candidates, and housing limits the pool.
We need to be able to have new teachers work in our district and housing could be a big issue.
We need to support the welfare of TFHD our fellow employees. Those of us fortunate enough to be secure in our housing
should grateful and show that gratitude by being willing to help those struggling. It's the least we can do.
We should help with housing assistance to draw talented people to our employer.
We want and deserve quality professionals in our school district, and don't want to lose potential employees due to the cost of
housing.
We work in a very expensive area to buy/rent so travel costs for all employees will have a unique effect on each families
budget. The result might lead to more candidates when hiring and promote staff retention.
When one does not have an adequate home to live in due to needing renovation or because of commute, they have less time
to dedicate to staying at job after hours. I personally would be at more evening events for students if my situation for housing
was different.
When people work and live in their hometown, they are more invested in their community. They have more respect for the
well-being of their neighbors and protection of the surrounding environment.
when Tahoe forest builds anything new it should include apartments, even studio or 1 bedrooms for employees. Look at the
new Grocery Outlet building. It has 3 apartments. The building where the Truckee Surgery center is as apartments. Tahoe
Forest could have apartments on the top floor of the planned parking garages, also on the top floors of the new medical
buildings too.
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While I am fortunate enough to live with a spouse who has remained employed, many of my colleagues are struggling to
make ends meet either due to the high cost of housing here, spouse unemployment or other issues. I fully support some sort
of stipend for our classified staff, who are so dedicated to our students but struggling to make ends meet, as well as teachers
and other district employees. Our schools can't afford to loose staff because of housing needs.
Will enable TTUSD and other agencies to hire the best possible employees, not based on spouse of potential employee
having high paid job, or on potential employee having huge savings. Otherwise we are unable to get employees suited to
many jobs because they can't afford to live here (for example, unable to fill Instructional Aide positions, and teaching
positions, even with people who really really want to live here).
With the cost of living in this area constantly on the rise, many employees in the area are being priced out of being able to live
where they work. Employers should contribute to employee's ability to work to allow for residents to work locally rather than
having to commute elsewhere.
With the increases of Bay Area people working remotely in Truckee/Tahoe since the pandemic struck, housing costs have sky
rocketed making it unaffordable for the average local family. If we now have people living full time in Truckee/Tahoe making
Bay Area wages and landlords, real estate sellers, restaurants, and retail shops taking full advantage of that with increased
pricing, something needs to be done to accommodate this new economic environment.
Without assistance our educators, support staff may not have the resources to become home owners and home ownership is
a cornerstone of community.
yes
Yes because I worry it will be increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff for lower paying positions in light of the high cost
of living in Truckee. It will not be possible to live locally, and there will not be strong incentive to commute from Reno/Sparks
due to the time and cost of commuting. On the other hand, it might be more effective and more equitable to other employees
in higher paying roles to invest in higher base pay rather than navigating the complexities of what to offer which employees in
terms of housing assistance.
SOMEWHAT SUPPORTIVE
?
A concern is that wage increases should be considered to keep up with the housing market. Should the market reverse, even
supplemented assistance programs may not adequately cushion the fall in values and equity in the property.
A lot of my coworkers have moved out of the area due to the high cost of living, and others constantly discuss the financial
difficulties of living in this area
Affordable housing up here is definitely an issue and should be addressed. I think TTUSD should consider investing in
housing, but make sure that the programs they develop would be available to people who rent or own, not just for those who
rent. Teachers with mortgages often struggle just as much as those that rent and would appreciate assistance as well.
Although it is increasingly difficult to secure housing in the area, I am concerned about how this support would affect other
aspects of education and compensation in our district.
Am supportive so all employees, certificated and classified, can live in the Tahoe Truckee Community, instead of commuting
from another state.
As a longtime TFH employee, there is excessive favoritism. People that are unqualified and incompetent, and rarely even in
office are promoted to supervisor or management while those who are extremely qualified hard workers are
overlooked/ignored. These people unfairly promoted make a lot more money and they will probably get assistance while more
deserving hard workers that make less money are overlooked as usual. Also, what's to stop someone from obtaining a job
with TFH, get housing and other assistance then quit and run with that assistance? Not to sound racist, as I am far from racist,
but Hispanics seem to also be hugely favored and promoted over non-Hispanics, so they probably will get all the assistance
then make a profit off renting extra rooms to their friends and extended family. Will there be anything in place to prevent
making additional profit?
As long as it doesn't impact employee payroll budgets.
Be a part of the discussions and present accurate financial data about our community members.
Because it is impossible to find good teachers homes to live in!!!
Cost of living and poor street infrastructure makes it challenging to live in truckee.
Due to the state of the economy and possible cuts in education, I would not want resources to go into housing but rather into
staffing needs and education programs.
Either housing assistance should be on the table for helping new - especially young - teachers be able to consider TTUSD
jobs, or else TTUSD will need to consider honoring year-for-year on the salary schedule. It is EXPENSIVE to move here from
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most other areas. Also - in order to have enough PARAs and other district support staff, either housing or utilities help should
be considered, or the district needs to consider either FREE benefits or substantial hourly raises - it is extremely difficult to
find PARAs and support staff when those jobs won't cover housing expenses and bills.
Employer should invest in housing programs to attract younger professionals to the area.
Help quality healthcare professionals afford to live close to their place of employment
High cost of housing in the Truckee
Housing costs are exorbitant. An OLD house around corner in Tahoe Donner was listed for $500,000.00 last week and sold
in bidding war for over $700,000.00 cash this week. Due to covid and remote work, so many more people moving to area full
time and likely housing will get worse for 'worker wage' people like hospital staff. I heard (not confirmed) that local school
enrollment is up 50% so they are coming her full time.
Housing costs are, for the most part, out of line with average salaries. With some sort of housing assistance, we may be able
to attract and retain quality professionals in our school district and other industries.
Housing is very expensive in Tahoe region and for the wage earner, frankly unaffordable. It would be cool to have TFH
housing.
I am somewhere in favor of this because housing has been a huge hurdle for me in this region, and it will definitely affect
whether or not I stay long term. Therefore, if it were available to me, it would certainly help ease the difficulty that housing
poses for staying in this job.
I believe the CEO gets a housing stipend, so why not everyone else?
I DO NOT support housing assistance for administrators. They are paid enough money and should not be enticed to work for
TTUSD by getting EVEN MORE through a housing and transportation stipend. I ONLY support assistance for employees that
support our students but are not paid well. Perhaps 50K or less?
I feel the majority of our employees probably already have housing so I would not want too many resources devoted to this
during our current budget crisis. When we have the funds, perhaps measures should be considered. IE I prefer to focus on
salaries and positions not being cut in the District.
I feel they should so long as great thought is put into location of these homes.
I think it could help retain local people which will make for quicker response times for outages. It also gives workers more
pride in their work knowing its in the town they live in.
I think it depends on the situation of the employee. Are we reimbursing new hires for moving here when there are people
needing assistance within the system already? Is there a need? I believe that is what this survey is for?
I think it is a nice gesture, but I also feel like there are other important areas to invest resources in such as more staffing.
I think that TTUSD should help young teachers get housing in Truckee so that they can live comfortably as they teach our
youth in our town. :)
I think to be equitable it should be translated to salary advancement for both classified and certificated
I want assistance purchasing a house. There is no way I can afford a house in the region under current prices without
significant investment or changes to a flexible/remote work structure. But, truthfully, I am really concerned with my housing
situation becoming more dependent on my employment or employer. Moving to a financial model where affordable housing
can only be obtained in conjunction with employment would only make workers more dependent on the job, and could,
understandably, be used to create pressure points in the workforce. I think any opportunity with housing assistance needs to
be unconditional, and needs to be without length/level of service requirements.
I worry about taking housing from other residents in the Tahoe area that need it. But if the employer is only helping the
problem of housing for locals, not adding to it, then I am in support of it.
I would agree to my employer investing resources in housing programs and opportunities if the benefits and investments were
somehow equitable across the board for ALL employees, even those not needing or taking advantage of the program.
I would just want to make sure that people would not take advantage of a program as sometimes people do when things are
given to them.
I would like to see my employer focus more on helping its employees find affordable homes to buy rather than focusing so
much on finding homes to rent. I love living and working in Truckee but with rents continuing to rise it is becoming more and
more impossible to find affordable housing. Younger families are looking towards moving to Reno because it's insane to
imagine buying a 2 bedroom home with no garage for half a million dollars but that's whats occurring in Truckee. I hope
builders can begin building smaller homes that first time buyers would look at and increase the supply. As long as the supply
chain stays low prices will continue to rise.
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If done mindfully, this can be yet another feather in the cap of an organization that proves it's drive for employee engagement.
My only question is - at what cost would these programs come at? Is there something that would have to be given up to offer
these generous benefits?
If employees could live in Truckee, job retention would improve.
If our school district is cut back financially due to the Covid issues- we may have layoffs and issues with our own employment.
It is hard to see the school district helping housing when they can't maintain their employees??
If we want to be able to offer a good educational opportunity to our children we have to help qualified teachers/staff come to
Tahoe and stay in Tahoe.
in order to attract new employees to the area, they need to be able to find decent housing. Otherwise we will fill open
positions with underqualified candidates or positions will be left open.
Investing in housing program and opportunities will help bring and keep employees that are needed for all tiers of our health
care system, not to mention their spouses/significant others who may not have as high paying jobs with benefits.
It could make us better as a whole.
It is expensive to live in this area, which is why many of us live in the Reno/outlying areas.
It is hard for young families to live in this area
It is important to have employees live in our town and I know from past experiences housing is not always available for a
professional in Truckee. You make too much for low income housing and not enough for the average rents.
It will help retain employees and allow them to live in the community that they are so committed to serving
It would help young families in the area
its a community
its difficult to find places to rent for long term and very expensive to get started in the area. having the hospital backing with
finding places to rent and possibly helping with start up cost could be very beneficial
maintain healthy workforce levels
Many TTUSD employees live in Reno due to housing costs. Prior to the support by TTUSD, I would need more information
My employer is in the business of educating our local youth, not housing them. However, I am in agreement with partnering
with organizations that could help focus on housing teachers so they don't have to live in Reno or Carson and commute over
30 miles for a job. We need to keep our teachers and school employees in our community!
My employer should definitely invest in housing programs. So many coworkers have great difficulties finding housing in the
area, and AFFORDABLE housing it's near impossible. Some people settle for less than ideal conditions and "make it work"
but they are stressed, uncomfortable and unhappy, which ultimately affects their quality of life and performance at work.
My employer SHOULD invest in housing resources to help attract potential hires to the District. The applicant pool is limited in
Truckee proper and housing is a major obstacle for those new to the area. The Reno housing market is also highly
competitive and finding housing in a short amount of time can be stressful; anything that can help alleviate that is an added
bonus and perk the TDPUD can offer as an employer to help attract new hires.
My salary does not adequately support a residence in Tahoe/Truckee as a single parent. Housing assistance in some form of
North Tahoe/Truckee stipend as is done by Placer and Nevada Counties for employees living and working in the area would
be very welcome. Alternatively, adjusting salaries to better accommodate cost of living in Tahoe/Truckee would also be very
welcome.
Non management Wages alone do not cover housing.
opportunity for those who need it
promote affordable housing built in the local area
Retaining effective teachers and administrators is very important.
Teacher pay is low and if the district wants/ needs quality teachers they should be compensated fairly.
Teacher shortage, difficult for teachers to find housing. we need good teachers!
The cost of living in Truckee/Tahoe is extremely expensive and the wages do not keep up with these expenses. These living
expenses are driven up by the tourist.
The market is impossible to find housing in, I feel TFH needs to do something or we will no longer be able to find appropriate
staffing.
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The town is not realistic to "affordable", why should TFHD be?
They should because we need more applicants for MA and front desk staff so that we can select higher quality applicants who
would actually stay long term
They should, to bring in teachers.
this is a expensive area to live ,and by a house
to attract/ retain competent employees
To ensure the community can be maintained and cared for. If there is no where to live for lower income staff how can we
employee all jobs.
To help the employees as we make to much to qualify for low income, but not enough to afford a decent standard of living in
the immediate area.
To keep employees in the area
very expensive to live in area with low salary
We all benefit when educators have stable housing and can commit to staying in our district.
We need a diversified pool of quality eployees
We need affordable housing for non-tourists or second home owners so that employees can live and work in their community
they serve.
When employees have their basic needs cover. They will work more efficient and be reliable
With the housing market the way it is in this particular area, employer investment in housing programs would help provide
stability for employees to live and stay in the area and, in theory, continue employment with the company.
Would draw a larger pool of qualified people to the area
NEUTRAL
Very difficult to maintain living expenses on teachers salary
ACTUALLY IT ALL DEPENDS
Apt complex recently tore down could have helped with employee housing.
Employer should help with temp housing and/or housing if part of compensation package, but ultimately employee needs to
be responsible for themselves. Commute to Reno is not that difficult and there are a lot more options in Reno
For me personally, I lived in Truckee for a long time and then was pushed out due to high rent costs. I then moved to Reno
and then was approved for a Truckee apartment complex after 2yrs on the waiting list. So having experienced both the
commute and non commute. There definitely needs more resources for employees for housing. If there were more housing
opportunities I feel like there be less of an issue with staffing.
high cost of living, some employees need help
I believe we should; however, given the current financial crisis and lack of support from the federal government for state
governments, I believe all allocated money should be used to strengthen the learning of content and social-emotional support
for all students. Once the federal government supports the states, then I can shift to this idea, which is outstanding and will
benefit the health of our community.
I feel a significant wage increase that reflects the cost of living for our area would better serve the employees. RNs in grass
valley make more hourly than we do and our cost of living is greater.
I feel like these sorts of offers/ assistance are always geared toward either 1st time buyers or to renters. I currently own my
home but it is in very poor condition. I would be nice to see assistance for repairs and/or buying without the 1st time buyer
clause
I never realized until recently (after my divorce), that this is a very tough place for a single mom to find a place to live quickly
and safely. I was unable to find any resources at all and had to commute an hour on average for several months.
I think I would need more details to form an opinion
I think it is very important to let the employee make those decisions for his/her living situation
I think my employer should invest in housing resources because housing, as a percentage of local income, is too high and
very burdensome to those unable to find local, affordable housing.
I think that the program would have to be fairly far reaching, which would be a challenge. I do not think that investing in just
one aspect of housing is enough (ie. Rent assistance) so I think that the program would end up being expansive.
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I think the district to give weight to applicants that are local.
I would need to know the details of the intent of TTUSD and offsets that would have to be considered.
If it helps to recruit and retain employees, it would be a benefit to everyone, as long as it done fairly, so that existing
employees don't feel unfair advantage for others.
In order to keep well qualified employees, we need to be able to afford to work here. I work full time, and can not pay our
mortgage with my entire monthley check.
In these times we should prioritize spending money on student programs and better pay for hourly personnel. Then they can
decide how to best spend the money they earn.
Investments should help the school district not the individual. If we remain home and continue online teaching then some
housing programs will help. I'm lucky and bought my house 20 years ago. Mortgage is not high but some aspects of my
house need improvement. Like wiring, I don't know if it is in my budget to fix this summer to prepare for the fall. (esp with a
laid off family member - living off of only teacher income)
It would be a nice gesture but don't think it's expected.
It's a double edge sword for both the employer and employee.
Lack of affordable housing is one of the main reasons most of the entire Tahoe Basin is short staffed. If there was some sort
of guarantee or assistance provided with housing there is a higher chance of employees accepting a job offer or staying at
their jobs. If the employee decided to leave the company they would have to leave the house, and I think very few people
would do that unless there was an extenuating circumstance that would cause them to leave.
Many of us Need that extra support and guidance depending on the family's situation.
My concern would be that resources used to support a housing program would pull from resources needed within our schools.
My employer should invest in housing programs and opportunities for employees because if they don't an entry level classified
employee may not be able to live in and be a part of this community. They will be forced to find a more affordable community
in which to live.
Neutral overall
New good people and locals in the area and working
Not sure of the cost and impacting the school district budget for kids learning.
Not sure.
Only if the housing programs will benefit ALL employees. I own so I don't need housing but would like to do some
remodeling, especially new windows.
Selfishly - I'd love help to purchase a home but I think our first priority right now needs to be stability in a unsettling upcoming
few years of budget.
should invest for those employees who need it for sure because it is very difficult at the moment to find affordable housing We
bought 22 years ago and feel lucky
They should pay employees what it cost to live here. Then they wouldn't have to pay assistance programs.
This all depends on the state of our finacial abilities due to COVID 19.
This might be very short-sighted of me but I feel like the school district needs to devote resources to improving programs for
students OR increasing salaries to help offset housing expenses.
Unable to give opinion due not being sure what a "housing program" is or what it would cost or look like. Are you going to
build a house for an employee, for example?
WOULD NEED MORE INFO BEFORE MAKING ANY DECISIONS ON THE SUBJECT
wow! That's a loaded question. I am not sure - and I am 1 year away from retirement. So many of these questions do not
apply to me.
You would need to make it equitable to all employees. There has been issues about "not being fair" when considering loan
repayment (for those who already have sacrificed and paid loans off), housing and mileage in the past. This is not a new
topic. If there is going to be a benefit for "some" employees and not others animosity ensues.
As a single teacher, it is virtually impossible for me to come up with a large enough down payment for the overpriced real
estate here; and I cannot afford a mortgage on my own (assuming the average price of a home is as high as it is).
Because happy employees bring better results and a positive attitude. They don't get sick and don't miss workdays.
High housing prices could cause certain low paying jobs to not be filled, I believe it is a good idea.
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I believe to keep good people its going to come down to this in the near future with so much uncertainties
I think they should help with rent and mortgage assistance for employees who need emergency housing in case of separation,
divorce or other immediate need situations
This town is becoming more and more expensive. I have a professional job with the hospital and masters degree and the cost
of living in Truckee is not feasible long term at the rate it is going. I worry about being able to stay her long term.
to keep a locally based staff, especially given difficult road conditions in the winter
NOT SUPPORTIVE
An issue with housing assistance for educators is that it implicitly says "we don't pay you a living wage to afford housing" and
that is a problem. A better solution is to raise wages so that people can just afford housing on their own. We should pay
people enough to afford homes in the area they work.
Assistance resources would be good but not finantial
I believe the primary support should be using the Districts opportunities of efficiency of scale to provide better benefits for their
employees, i.e. more affordability.
I do not know how I would feel about the investment. Never had experienced the situation with current living affordability. I
am more in favor of adjusting salary to cost of living.
I'm glad our school district doesn't have the money problems I've heard of in other counties. However, I think it's already a
problem to have health care tied to employment, and setting up special interest groups groups seems like crony capitalism,
and I'm against that idea. It reminds me of the airport having extra tax dollars to give away to various groups. If you don't need
the money for your operation, lower your tax rate and give the people their money back! :(
I'm only supportive if it makes sense. Investing 250k during a pandemic when there is a lot up in the air doesn't pass the smell
test.
In order to recruit and retain high quality staff.
It is not really relevant. If it is going to take away from resources helping the students, then I would have a problem with it. I
feel like we all had to make it work, and we did and our salaries are not horrible. I feel like the community should provide more
low income housing for those in need, and if teachers qualify, then great, but there shouldn't be special compensation for
teachers. There are a lot of other people who need it more.
It seems like we have a lot of financial burden currently happening in our district due to state education costs without adding
another program to fund.
It would obviously help. Not sure it's the employers responsibility.
Mortgage assistance
Most people would rather live elsewhere. Somewhere not as expensive
Rent in this town is a stretch for professionals in Clinical positions and Non clinical positions alike. I think investing resources
sounds good in theory if able to actually help ALL members of our TFHD family. Some of our population already qualify for
other types of assistance like local = opportunity housing. Some of us stuck in the Middle do not qualify for any help, but also
struggle to find suitable housing and still have bills like college loans to pay like everyone else. If we invest resources it should
be across the board.
There is housing available in the basin.
They pay us already
TTUSD has much going on to educate and provide resources to students. To take on housing is a lot! Where would the
money come from? Would it be another tax? or would funds be diverted from other areas?
whatever is done should benefit the whole. not only the few.
Where is this money coming from? It seems all of us would be better served to receive increased wages and allow us to
manage our affairs as we see fit.
Commute time to Reno and cost of living in Reno are both reasonable especially considering the high wage scales at TFHD.
I have known many medical professionals for he last 25 years that have made the commute from Truckee to Reno and from
Reno too Truckee. And now days, the highway is well maintained and greatly improved from what it used to be. Reno is a
great base for TFHD employees to commute from.
hazard pay reimbursement for those of us employees who have worked tirelessly through the pandemic and shutdown while
still maintaining a positive and happy atmosphere for our patients.
I don't fee the TDPUD rate payers should be responsible to invest resources in housing programs and employee
opportunities. People need to be responsible for themselves and not live beyond their means.
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I very much appreciate this survey however, I chose to accept employment in the area in which I live and the costs of living
associated with living in this area, etc. I also choose how I spend my income, etc. I would never accept employment to live in
an area that I could not personally afford - I would live and work elsewhere. I would not want my employer to spend any
resources that would take away funds from students. Another idea would be to work to reduce grocery costs in the area as
this would greatly help offset expenditures as the majority of our community shops in Reno. I keep everything local, putting
revenue earned in Truckee back into our community.
I'm not interested in supporting handouts. It will end up costing me more money for no benefit to me. I'm tired of paying for
others mistakes.
Is this what educators/schools are for now? Are we going to spend resources, time, money, in managing this project? Is this
public money? Is this part of an overall pay cut to fund this? Is the middle class going to be hit with higher taxes, more bonds?
Tahoe Truckee properties are expensive, too bad! I commute to work unfortunately, and if I can, others can too. If you are
going to buy property, build houses, pay rents for employees to live near work, then to be fair you should reimburse for
milage, car repair, mortgage, rents too, for those employees already living in the area who spent hard earned money to buy,
or who are renting or commuting from out of town. Sure, you can pay for some of my property taxes, my milage. Lastly,
whose paying for property maintenance, upkeep, repairs, taxes.
It should be provided to feel to be a part of the Tahoe community and feel supported.
pay more so employees can afford housing
Should not. Location is a choice. There are and have been educators that can afford to live here. Reno has job opportunities,
it is cheaper to live there, and there are plenty of people to work here---it took me five years to get a teaching position here--it
had nothing to do with housing. There are teachers. Please, I do not support this at all----there are wonderful new teachers,
yes, but the commute to and from Reno is NOTHING COMPARED TO TRAVELING AROUND ANY MAJOR CITY IN
AMERICA----OR OTHER PLACES IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The health system should focus on successfully delivering superior healthcare and offering competitive wages to retain
workers.
The Town is in charge of housing.
They have never worked and is a miss appropriation of funds. The cost of living is not dictated by my employer. The cost of
living is a derivative of policies passed by local government making it super hard for smaller developers to build less
expensive homes. If the city only makes it so multi million dollar houses are what can be built how is an employer supposed
to affect that?
they should because always is hard to find employees because is hard to make it here, housing wise
They should invest to cut down on the turnover rate. Most employees travel from RENO TO TRUCKEE.
We aren't even getting end of year bonuses so I think the idea of spending more money to help people with housing, but not
increase pay or bonuses just doesn't make sense. It's almost offensive after all the emails saying that TFHD is struggling
financially due to COVID restrictions.
If you are NOT interested in renting from your employer, why not (TTUSD only)
Already fortunate to own our home
already own in the area
Already renting
Because earlier you asked me if I owned my own home and I said yes. I don't need to rent.
Because I already own my house.
Because I own a home and do not need the service.
Because I own my home and do not plan to sell
Because my family of 3 lives in a home less than 1000 square feet. No extra space at all.
Because one of my ultimate goals is to buy a home. And I wanted to try to do that this year or next.
Because we currently own our home
Because we currently own our home and are happy with where we live.
Because we own our house.
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I already own a home in this area, but I would support this for the employees who need assistance with housing. I think it is a
huge area of need in our community.
I already own a home, and prefer not to rent.
I already own my home here in Truckee and am not interested in moving.
I am already in a good situation.
I am buying a home in Reno,Nv.
I am content with my current living situation.
I believe this resource should be allocated to potential employees which represent the Latino or underserved population and
then possibly other employees who are in need.
I currently own a home and would prefer to own.
I currently own my home at a good interest rate. I actually think "affordable" rent would be higher than my mortgage.
I currently own my own home
I do not need it.
I do not need this help. It is important to note I am an outlier. I have lived here for 46 years, and have owned my home since
1991. Our mortgage remains much lower than people's rent. I do not want my answers to skew what other people desperately
need. That being said, if my situation were to change (let's assume a divorce) then I would absolutely be in a position to ask
for help to live here and would ask for it.
I do not need to.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THEM DOING THIS.
I don't need a home
I don't need it now, we own our home, but know several coworkers that desperately do need it.
I don't think public entities should provide housing.
I don't want my employer to also be my landlord. I want market forces to drive costs, not create artificial bubbles for people
who are employed by a group that gets government favors for their employees at the expense of others. I was against the
"special housing for artists" garbage that happened a few years ago too.
I have a home
I have a mortgage and am fine with continuing my current housing situation.
I have my own house.
I have one
I live in a house that provides for my housing needs
I no longer want to RENT.
I owen my home.
I own
I own a home
I own a home and would not be in need of this.
I own a home with substantial equity in it already.
I own my home
I own my home and commute 30 miles to school.
I own my home and love it
I own my home but I support this idea
I own my home in Nevada County.
I own my house and already pay around 30% of income for mortgage
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I own my house--if I were a renter, I would definitely be interested
I own my house.
I own my own home but fully support this initiative.
I want to be able to afford to buy a home in the Truckee area. I don't want to rent anymore.
I want to remain living in Nevada.
I was recently fortunate enough to purchase a home blocks from my work site!
I would be concerned about the security and privacy of renting from my employer.
I would like to own.
I'm interested in living and supporting my self in an area I can afford without government help.
If I didn't own my home (thanks to family help) I would mark, "yes."
Just increase wages so people can buy their own housing. Having to get housing through your employer is an issue because
now you are further beholden to them. What happens if you want to leave/get fired. Now it is an even larger crisis because
your home is wrapped up with your job. Just pay people more.
NA
Not necessary for me, I own my own home.
Others could use the space.
Own
Own a home but could see it highly beneficial for others
own home
Own home
Respectfully, the district's funds should be focused on our students and the district is very thoughtful in bargaining and wages
with what they have to give.
We already own a home
We are a 2-income family. Housing prices in the area, while high, are still within our means at this point.
We are considering purchasing a home in the next year, so this does not apply.
We currently own a home and would not want to move into a rental property; however, we are unable to currently afford a
home that adequately meets our family needs.
We currently own a small home and would not be interested in going back to renting.
We currently own and would not like to rent.
We have a home in Tahoe City. This housing survey does not pertain to our current housing situation. However, if I was a
new teacher in our district looking for housing, all of these ideas would pertain to me and help me to find affordable housing in
the Tahoe Truckee area.
We have housing
We have lived in our house for almost 25 years and would not consider renting at this point.
We just purchased a home. But if we were renting, this is definitely something that we would have utilized.
We like being homeowners.
we own a home here
We own a home so do not need to rent. However, if I were in a position to rent, I would appreciate that option. This survey is a
bit frustrating because there is not a "Not Applicable" option on many of these questions.
We own a house. But thinking of others that would so my vote going to help them.
We own our home. However, we have potential space in our home to create a mini apartment, but need the capital to
remodle.
We own our home. If our situation changed I would consider it.
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We own our house and I don't want to move again.
We want to own a home and not rent anymore.
We were finally able to purchase a home recently, so I would prefer not to rent again now that we own.
Do you have any additional comments or suggestions related to housing?
- Added annual expenses here: snow tires (every few years), snow removal (for some) - so many mostly empty 2nd homes
and so many VRBOs and AirB&Bs when many NEED a home
1. Please continue to pursue housing acquisition--both rental and sale product--for hospital employees. 2. Please consider
paying employees NOT to drive to work.
100% of my take home TFHD paycheck goes to Mortgage. I work a 2nd and 3rd job to cover food, utilities, etc and always fall
short. The struggle is real living in the community even if you own a home. No suggestions :(
2k/mo student loan payment - loan forgiveness huge
A subsequent survey once material progress is made towards an executable plan, to further guage if said plan is in line with
what the target audience would act on.
Affordable housing would be amazing, especially if it was affordable because our employer made it possible. One more
reason to love TFHD!
Again, I think the lack of housing and the costs of housing in this area is a big issue and it needs to be addressed.
Allowing flexible work at home schedules for employees that are able to arrange that really adds flexibility to our staffing and
living arrangements, for all staff
any amt. Of help would be welcomed...monthly income of 3500.00 does not go very far in this area...loosing the ability to
substitute teach and not have a roommate to help pay rent has made it difficult...thank you for your inte rest.
As an RN I believe I have a good and also stable job; However, as a single person with a single income, I was recently
looking to purchase a home on my own - I was pre approved at $400,000 (which is nearly impossible to find now in Truckee,
especially without a cash offer from the Bay Area). The mortgage, without 20% down, after PMI and HOA fees was going to
cost me $2600/month. Simply unaffordable.
As mentioned, no favoritism or cronyism. Build strict guidelines to prevent people from profiting off any assistance such as
secretly renting rooms out, or secretly commuting from outside of the area daily and renting out the entire space at a profit.
As noted with zip code I live in Reno Nv A home in Truckee of the same type/size is AT LEAST Twice as much to purchase
The wages provided by TDPUD DO NOT allow for me to purchase home in Truckee Although well intended, this survey will
not change this and is a waste of my time and tdpud resouces and money 1 - TDPUD needs to increase my wages 100 %
OR 2 - homes to purchase need to be 50 % less IF there is some other REAL solution please advise
as of now we are actively looking to buy a home, but there is nothing in the market that we can afford. Truckee is really
expensive. It would be awesome to have any kind of financial assistance.
Both my wife and I make a good wage and work in this area, we are still unable to buy a home in the Tahoe/Truckee area.
Student loans are one portion of the issue, although not the largest one. Housing costs making moving unattainable currently.
Childcare, childcare, childcare, especially for infants.
Consider reviewing what Jackson Hole, WY has done with their employee housing for educators (Teton County School
District). It's an excellent model and the education staff is highly supportive of the efforts, housing options, and the chance for
educators to "own" homes in their community.
Cost of groceries and gasoline contriube greatly to the the high cost of living in this area.
Daycare would be the biggest help to our family. The cost of daycare in the area is very high. Both my wife and I work for the
TTUSD
Down payment assistance would be great!
Due to the high costs of living, despite a very good annual income, we are most concerned about the inability to save for a
downpayment that would cover the costs of buying a home in the area. Most affordable houses are sold within days. Funds
like the Martis fund will not qualify us due to our income despite the difficulty of saving for a downpayment.
Fortunately we own our home so this doesn't really apply to us but it could be great for others looking to stay here.
Greatly appreciate our organization taking a look at this ongoing problem for many of our employees.
Had to move to Reno 4 years ago due to lack of available/affordable rentals and affordable purchase/real estate
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higher utility rates than reno. Higher property tax than NV. Higher fuel costs than NV. higher grocery costs than NV.
Housing is definitely a problem in our resort-destination community. Rent rates are very high, oftentimes higher than a
mortgage, and people like me who are barely able to save any money after paying monthly bills, have a hard time trying to
come up with a downpayment that won't put them on the highest interest rates for 30-year mortgages.
Housing is too expensive,too confined,too restrictive, terrible traffic plan ( no plan) in Truckee
Housing was considered in my decision to come to work for TFH and as nice as it was to live near work, the area dictated
other options. I did not expect my employer to provide me with a long term solution which factored so I dive the 30 miles
to/from work each day.
I am a single mom and am finding it very difficult to find affordable housing in the Tahoe City area. Decent 1 bedrooms are
renting for 1500-2000. I have my two boys 50% of the time. I am finding that the one bedrooms and studios are often attached
to home owners or Airbnb residences and kids are not welcome. The rental situation here is not accommodating for a single
mom and I'm being forced to possibly go to Reno!! Please help!!!!!
I am very glad to hear that as a community the hospital as one of the largest employer, is taking an interest and actively trying
to help it's employees. I think that makes it possible to have employees that are engaged more in their job if they were not so
worried about housing.
I am very impressed that TFHD is considering such assistance for employees -- Thank You
I answered this speaking only for myself. I have young adult children. Some of the answers I say no to would be different if
one of them were purchasing a home in town. In fact, when the time comes for them to purchase, they will absolutely need
help in the form of program assistance. Again, clarifying my answers so they do not skew against those in need. Specifically,
questions 9 and 19. My answer feels misleading and an "other" box would have been good for me to explain I have not had to
look for a place to live in Truckee since 1991 and a lot has changed since then (my mortgage was $800 back then and that
included all taxes and insurance). If I were a young person just starting out or a young family, I could not afford to live here.
The only reason we make it work is because we purchased many years ago. We could not afford to purchase here today and
we have a decent household salary. We also live paycheck to paycheck, no savings, for what it's worth.
I believe that we should consider temporary housing opportunities for new employees or employees in a housing crisis along
with long-term housing opportunities for employees who choose to make Truckee home.
I desire to live in Truckee, in my desired neighborhood, in an affordable home. I also do not want to feel indebted to TFHD.
I do not agree with the location choice of the planned low income housing at the top of Dollar Hill on the Highlands side.
There is not nearly enough parking planned for the # of residents, and the county has not taken into account the treacherous
winter road conditions on Dollar Hill. I feel there is already too much traffic with the high school in the same location. When
moving forward with these projects, committee members really need to live in the area (not Roseville/Rocklin or Auburn) so
they understand the different location challenges faced when planning these housing projects.
I do support subsidized housing but not sure if school district can afford it, I'd rather see it go to salary benefits so we can
attract and retain teachers
I feel like our situation is better than most. I do feel trapped in our current house that is slowly falling apart from snow.
I have an in law unit that I rent. Anyway that could be rented by THF for travelers or other??
I have given back to this community for the last 25 years thinking I could purchase a home if I had a decent job in the district.
Because rents are so high, gas is so high, groceries are so high and I have student loans and truck payment (you must have
a reliable vehicle as a single person). I have been unable to save. Prices of housing just keeps going up and 2nd homeowner
pay cash and out bid me EVERY TIME I am close to buying. Its not fair that 80% of Tahoe Donner is 2nd home owners.
80%!! My neighborhood is about the same and all our neighbors have had to move due to AirBnB, WE are no longer a
community. We are a resort and money always wins. I have always been taught hard work pays off, but not in this town. We
have been Aspinized. Wealth always gets what they want... fairness never plays a roll with the wealthy.
I have lived in Tahoe Truckee from 1985, so I was able to get into the housing market at a reasonable time. Most of these
questions do not apply to my circumstances, but I support housing help in the area.
I have no additional comments.
I have owned/lived in my home for >15 years - answers to difficulty/cost of housing do not really apply to current housing
situation.
I have several staff who struggle with housing options locally. I appreciate the hospital being involved in issue
I know that my daughter, who graduated from THS, will not come back and live/work in Truckee (even though she is married)
because of how expensive it is to live here. I believe that she and her husband (a teacher) would be an asset to our
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community, and I think that it's sad that they will not come to Truckee to work/live/raise a family, at some point, due to it being
so expensive. We need our "kids" to return and keep Truckee feeling like a small, hometown!! Just my opinion....
I live in a family owned house, subsequently I pay well below market rent. Thus, I have been saving to purchase my own
single family dwelling, but have little luck finding anything reasonable/affordable. Any local assistance for people who curr ently
reside in the area and would like to continue doing so would be a great idea, and great help.
I live in Reno, so I just want the home prices in Truckee to fall to a reasonable level. Otherwise, I'm staying in Reno. The
commute reimbursement would be nice, because I spend a fortune on gas.
I live with two other people. One is a close friend and one it not. My close friend makes $58,000 as a landscape architect in
town and I make $76,000 as a teacher. We can pay $600-900 in rent each, but will never be able to afford to live alone, or buy
a house. Our third roommate seems to be a trustfund baby and he is a ski patroller. He has money coming in from some other
source and it is limitless...and he only works 3 months a year. This is the story of most of my friends in Truckee. We all have
roommates and only one friend has been able to buy a home. We all have pretty good, stable jobs (lawyer, designer,
architect, teacher, tech, engineer...) but we can not afford the houses here.
I own a home but it's too small to accommodate my sons who now must work from home. I don't need financial support for
housing but I need help finding space!
I personally own my own home and have no problem renting the rooms via craigs list posting at $775/mo. I answered some
other of the 'need for housing' questions from my daughter perspective who wants to move back to the area.
I see a lot of questions and comments throughout this survey about employee community housing, renting, controlling
employee housing sales prices, and condominium ownership. But I feel like those solutions are not what employees are
seeking. I believe a household with two adults each working 40 hours a week should be able to afford a stand-alone house in
a regular neighborhood. And if they cannot find that in our community, they will seek it out in other communities. Thank you
so much for addressing this issue. While my family feels secure in our housing situation, I know some of my coworkers are not
as fortunate. Without a doubt their housing insecurity takes a toll on their quality of life. I really hope TTWHA comes up with
some great solutions for the Truckee employee housing crisis.
I strongly believe this program could be a great opportunity for many employees at Tahoe forest and I hope to see it go
through soon!
I think employees living so close to other employees could feel like an invasion of privacy and increase work drama.
I think housing assistance and student loan forgiveness are huge benefits that would only help our organization grow.
I think my family found housing at a good time and were lucky to find a house that we could afford to purchase. I think that if
either my or my husbands employment situation changed it could be tough for us to afford the mortgage. In that situation a
mortgage assistance or loan program through the employer could be of interest. While we are happy with our current
situation, I could see the need for a larger house in the future. Again, at that time an employer assisted program may be of
interest.
I think the Tahoe area in general should make it easier/encourage homeowners to add in-law type units that are affordable. It
is a good way to provide affordability in a dispersed manner.
I was able to buy a house last year with help from friends who provided private financing with almost 0% down. I renovated it
myself and moved into the mother in law unit I created. I am renting out the rest of the home to locals in need. I would really
like to see a program that would help our local community buy affordable single family homes. I am living in a 400sqft with no
real kitchen. Paying 600/month.
I was fortunate to purchase a home early in my career which allowed me to buy/sell my homes allowing growth to our current
home. I don't feel this is a realistic path in our current housing situation for young healthcare workers.
I will be needing to sell my home of 25 years due to the rising taxes and insurance in Truckee. I am looking for a more
affordable living situation with my house mate who is also an employee of TFHD.
I would love for a housing program to become a reality. It would be beyond great to have a place of my own to provide a
home to my kids without having to worry about having to move again.
I would love to have any assistance to buy a home!
I would really love for something to open up for me. This is the perfect opportunity to solve my current issue and came at the
right time.
I very much would be interested in employee housing. My boyfriend and our 11 month old daughter currently live in Portola. I
work full @me at TFHD and have to commute after working night shift. We have been looking for housing for over a year now.
Please think of me in the future for employee housing
I, personally, am in a very good situation. I bought my house 25 years ago. But, I feel very strongly that the community
needs to increase affordable housing in the Tahoe Truckee area so that our kids can afford to live and raise their families here
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too. Additionally, the percentage of income that lower income residents must pay towards housing is much to high and puts
undue stress on the person and family. Thank you for working on this issue. We really appreciate it!
I'm confident about our mortgage payment, but my wife/accountant handles our bills!
I'm not going to fill out this page as it does not apply to me.
I'm not interested in policies that contribute to the continuing overgrowth of this town.
I've never heard of an employer facilitating any kind of housing program for it's employees like this; I think it's very original and
exciting and would benefit many employees here at TFHD.
If there were options like this in the past I definitely would have taken advantage of them. I am now purchasing a home in
Reno for way less than renting truckee and driving 40 minutes to and from work. We sleep less and get home late but I am
proud to own a home. I know a lot of my fellow employees would benefit from this help.
if we made more money, perhaps we could afford the high prices of rent here in the tahoe basin. I know this year has been
craz, however I know that in places in the bay where housing prices, rental wise, are comparable to here, the classified
employees make way more money than we do..... just sayin
If we truly want to build relationships with our students and our families we need to be a part of the community we work in!
If you want to attract the best and the brightest. If you want teachers that are invested in our community. The TTUSD will
have to go "all in" to make that happen. Half hearted actions will result in half hearted results.
In order to recruit and retain new staff and young teachers the town needs to do something so young people can afford to live
here. Also, the town will die if they don't fix this. I've seen the same thing happen in Napa 35+ years ago. Dropping
enrollment in schools, the maternity ward closing due to a ZERO birth rate...it was a real crisis. They implemented some
great housing programs that actually helped my younger brother, his new wife, and baby own their very first home. It can be
done, we just have to decide who we want in this town. Wealthy people and infrastructure staffed with people who are
bussed in from Reno, or a real vital community with people of all ages and socioeconomic levels. Frankly, I vote for the
second...that's the town I came here for back in 1993. Truckee was a working class, family oriented community with a vital
work force. Now, I stay in my little niche, rarely go downtown, and hardly recognize my home town. My adult children wanted
to live here, all are professionals, college educated, and have blessed me with 5 grandchildren. None of them could afford to
buy a home here (even with a healthy $600K budget) and put their children in our schools. So they all moved away and took
their families to other communities.
Incentives for homeowners to rent long term to district employees instead of short term rentals would be great. We have
several neighbors who might be interested in participating.
increase wages to match the local economy
Interested in buying - renting is not my long term goal. Affordable rental options seems more attainable for an employer than
providing options for affordable home purchases, so I'm not sure what I would expect TFHD to do.
Is there room to tax our luxurious properties such as Lahonton and Martis Valley and then use that money toward liveable
trailers in Donner Creek Mobile Home Park? I am also quite concerned with the living standard of families we are willing to
ignore in our community.
It is going to be hard to stay with the wonderful TTUSD with the expense of housing in the Truckee Tahoe area. I hope that
this organization can help employees get affordable housing to own.
It is imperative that housing for local workers is affordable
It is not right for some employees to get assistance for housing when many of us do not need the help. Pay everyone more
and then people can use the money as they wish. Or, pay hourly employees more and keep teacher salaries the same. Or,
freeze or reduce pay for administrators.
It may be important to consider the student loan burden of those in health care when crunching these numbers. Most people I
know that work in healthcare have substantial student loan debt. I know nursing students earning ADNs that are taking on
$50-60k in debt just for tuition. That does not include living expenses and that is just for an associates degree! They may
eventually make a good wages as a nurse, but they still can't afford a house because they are paying off their loans for years.
It's impossible to find housing that allows dogs. I am actually not supposed to have them on my lease so had to say they were
my parents and I dog sit them. Founding a place that isn't a total dump that doesn't take my whole paycheck is also almost
impossible to find. I shouldn't have to find a place in Reno and have to commute and hour just to find affordable housing.
It's unfortunate that folks are shut out from purchasing a starter home in their community.
Just that I appreciate that some one is at least looking into this.
Like all things, we make choices as to our priorities and how we spend money. If it not a benefit to all employees, it's probably
a bad idea. Employer owned housing for employees who work full time for the district with strict rules as to who can live there
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and no longer available if the employee terminates from the district. Like college dorms, if you are no longer a student, then
you no longer live here.
Lower the pricing so our whole paycheck doesn't go to rent per person, updated appliances, washer and dryer in unit, lo term
renting so you're not constantly moving
Many other towns in ski resorts around the U.S. have deed restricted neighborhoods for local, year-round residents. These
home are less expensive and have capped sale prices to insure other locals can afford to buy them. Areas around the Tahoe
Basin including Truckee should really be offering this. At the moment, locals are completely priced out of the housing market.
More RV and trailer parks are not the answer for locals. Developers and the Town can surely come together for a deed
restricted housing community option.
More safe bike trails and side walks for commuting
Must have a 2 car garage
My answers may be quite different as I have lived in my home for 40 years, I own it, it is almost paid for and I really like where
I live. I have no children.
My answers related to personal housing and financial needs and concerns are quite different than a young family. Your
suggestion of a deed restricted home would be incredibly wonderful for younger families so that our community can continue
to live here and thrive. Thank you
My current rent is very low compared to the average in town so our current living situation is great. However, if that living
situation were to stop we would be hard press to find a 2-3 bedroom house that is less than 25-30% of our take home pay.
We are saving for a down payment on a house and we are first time home buyers. We will most likely have to start off in Reno
with how expensive it is to buy (and build) homes in Truckee. The idea of down payment assistance is attractive but not if that
means signing up for some house that can only go up in value by 3%...that's horrible and it doesn't even sound like home
ownership! I would rather take my down payment and buy a dump in Reno that isn't regulated by a deed! If the airport goes
down this road it would be a huge disappointment. I am sure most people who are working on this affordable housing
committee/organization are all home owners and non of them would ever want to buy a house that can only go up by 3% in
value.
My daughter works part time but will be going to nursing school and will not be working while going to school. She brings in
20,000 a year so it will only be my salary after this year.
My family does not need assistance, but I would love to see others benefit from housing assistance. At one time, I struggled
to find housing in this area, so I know it is an issue.
My husband and I purchased our house in Tahoe several years ago, and feel very fortunate. Many of our friends have been
priced out of the market completely. Workforce housing is certainly something that is needed in order for our community to
maintain sustainability.
My ideas to make housing communities (like apt building type thing) affordable and fair and open to some community
members: 1) Sliding scale rent - so people with a variety of incomes can live there to diversify tenants 2) Discounts for
employees but open to community members 3) Have a minimum percentage of units that are reserved for employees (ie: 50-
60%), and if those units can't be filled, then the leftover ones can be rented on a month by month basis to always leave the
option for opening it up to employees when the need arises. Also, separately, on a personal level, I LOVE the idea of
assistance with home renovations. We will need to add on to our house soon (or move if we can't - or can't find a larger
home), and it would be so helpful to receive assistance with that so we can continue to stay in this community that we love.
NA
needs to accommodate my disabled husband as well as my dog(who is extremely important to our family).
no
No
No apartment complexes please!
No, thank you.
No.
No.
no. We purchased our home over 20 years ago... Before I started working for the district. But I see the problem with the
housing shortage. My children could never afford to buy a home in the area...
Not at this time.
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older workers have less discretionary income as they exercise catch up allowances and maximum contributions to retirement
plans.
Or even loan assistance would be a nice benefit.
Other cities give service workers help. Essential workers need support. Nurse, fireman, police, highway patrol, teachers. Its
also nice for us to live near eachother versus seasonal employees who have different values and hours of sleep etc. Garages
with a roof that slants so snow doesn't pile up. Student loan payoff helpful a lot of MA degrees up here
Our childcare is almost as much as our mortgage if they had a child care stipend or helped pay for child care that would be
the most beneficial for our family at this time.
Our community desperately needs affordable housing. The number of people that work in Truckee but live in Reno is a
detriment to the environment and to our community.
Pay employees better to afford housing
Pets are a huge roadblock to finding rental housing and many of us have pets.
Please add an option for zero bedrooms. I currently live in a studio, but had no way to input that answer.
Please consider childcare assistance or having a TTUSD childcare. This would help SO many employees and would help cost
of living
Prices out of touch. 1800 for 2 bed apartment is ridiculous. But people desperately fighting for those opportunities.
Provide it for those who truly NEED it. And please please please be aware of people who will take advantage of this— having
more people live in one house/apartment that shouldn't be there (inviting friends/roommates, extended family- cousins, great
uncles, grandparents, god children, etc). Some people like to take advantage of situations or opportunities like this and invite
everyone to live with them, so they pay little to nothing when the rent is split between that many people. That creates more
cars, traffic, people, noise, etc.
sometimes the difficulty in finding a place is because there are multiple people applying to rent or buy and someone else may
get chosen over you getting a place if and when you find something suitable
Take into account the cost of living here. Some of us make lots of money on paper, but when we take away the bills, the gas,
the needs we need to pay each month, what we have left is nothing so we are on the verge and are living paycheck to
paycheck.
TAXES are Killing me
Thank you for all your efforts and considerations!
Thank You for considering this. Housing is the most important consideration in our future, near and far.
Thank you for looking into housing assistance for employees, it would be wonderful to see more income driven housing
opportunities for integral members of the healthcare system and community. I look forward to hearing more about this in the
future!
Thank you for looking into this
Thank you for looking into this!
Thank you for supporting local, achievable housing
Thank you for this survey and for taking the time to survey your employees/TTUSD community.
thank you!
Thank you!
Thanks for taking the time to do this, I love working for an employer who cares and is trying to make a positive difference to a
very real struggle for many in this town
the community needs housing for young families that are working with good child care that is affordable
The cost of living is much more than rent, etc. Everything cuts into an individual's budget...gas, food, basic items you may
need to purchase locally. Fixed costs are a portion of the problem but the Gross income statistic skews the actual reality of
life in this region...when simply compared to the amount of rent and utilities.
The housing costs have always been so high for this area due to tourism, second home owners, and weather extremes. Not
for the "mild or meek" is what we joked about for years as locals. Helping TTUSD employees get a start would be huge in
keeping them.
The housing prices are reflective of Bay Area income and demand. Though we feel comfortable with our salaries, it is not
reflective of our ability to be in the market Competitively and purchase a home big enough for our family.
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The initial thought of housing assistance sounds appealing, but I am really concerned with how this would play out in practice.
Other developed nations that have something similar have created conditions where getting out from under this program
would be challenging. Fundamentally, a program like this is likely to go the way of food stamps, and federally funded housing
efforts, which is defunding and a vicious cycle of instability. And from a standpoint of employer involvement in my life, I don't
want them having my business information, and having my bank account information, and being dependent on them for health
insurance, and now being dependent on them for housing assistance. This just sound like a workforce
manipulation/coercion/benefit reduction scheme waiting to happen.
The only reason it does not affect me is that we bought our house 20 years ago.
The only reason the cost of my mortgage is so low is because we bought in 2012 when housing prices were at their lowest.
Now, there is no way we would be able to afford the house we live in making our income. This is a huge problem for those
needing a place or buy or rent in today's market. Our community needs to do something for those in need.
The primary reservation of moving from Nevada to California is in the event of changing employers in the future - most
opportunities are in Reno/Sparks. If I moved to Truckee and took a Reno job, I'd still be on the hook for California taxes. Not
at all planning on changing employers and love it here though.
the situation in the greater truckee area is desperate for affordable housing. the cost of living here is higher than most area's.
It really is becoming an area only the wealthy can afford.
There are more costs associated to owning my home than those listed in question 27. Property Taxes, Insurance, Monthly
maintenance and/or snow removal, Large scale maintenance (kitchen, bath, decks, exterior stain, flooring, composition roof
shingles, appliances, etc.)
There has been an excessive amount of turn over of employment in the last two years. Many of these are due to hiring people
that did not like the winter environment or that were unable to afford the area.
things could change this year with my partner out of work
This is a critical issue which I hope can be addressed. We have had candidates turn down job offers due to the high cost of
housing. Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback.
This is critical right now as we are seeing an increase in population. People who can work remotely are moving up here every
day. It is near impossible for a new teacher and staff to get in the market. Housing will be critical for TTUSD to maintain a
consistent workforce. Thank you for looking into solutions.
This questionnaire would have been so on topic a year ago. We lost everything we owned over 10 years ago due to the
market in 2007-2010. My husbands business - Mortgage Brokerage went bankrupt. We lost everything - just this last year
with the help of my mother we were able to own a home again. She gifted us the down payment. We were renters for over
13 years in this community. It was terrible - landlords asking us to move due to selling their condo, parking issues at the
condo due to downtown visitors, renting a house in Glenshire that we had to spend 6 weeks cleaning due to drug activities
from prior renters, and then NOT being able to control the increase of rent even after we spent our own money cleaning and
repairing the house. We were slaves to our landlord!! It was terrible!! I feel so blessed to have our own home again!!
Teachers need support and we need housing to work and live in this area. The commute from Reno is dangerous and crazy
during the winter. I now just want to keep my job and not lose my home to this Covid possibility of layoffs and such!!! As a
community member for over 21 years I have seen it all! I just want this community to support its real workers! NOT just the
visitors and NOT just those that work virtually on a regular basis. We are the community - we are what makes this town
REAL! We need housing for our workforce!!
This survey asks questions that are none of your business
This survey does not seem to be relevant to those of us who currently own our home... therefore the data isn't valid.
Those people, like us, that bought our homes before prices went to the current level, are at a huge advantage compared to
those that might be trying to buy now, but cost of living is still very high. We could not afford to buy a home in this community
now. Thank you for looking for options to help our community find balance.
Time, dollars, and other resources should not be put into long term employee housing. Dynamic recruitment to find
employees that want to work at TFH is the key. Staff is well paid and work under one of the most positive environments in
health care that anyone could ask for especially when compared to other places to work in Reno. And, the commute to or
from Reno is reasonable. I have known many people through the years that have safely and effectively had an awesome
career that involved this commute. The number of homes or apartments needed to house employees in the Truckee area is
too large compared to the affordable development of housing In what has become a very expensive and limited place to live.
TFHD would be better to buy a bus that could bring employees from and to Reno on a set schedule. TFHD $ need to be
invested in developing our health care campus, not employee housing. Thanks for this survey.
Unsure of annual gross income as I live with 3 unrelated roommates but that is my best guess. Really glad Tahoe Forest is
recognizing this need, my significant other is a Teacher at the local high school and we both find ourselves struggling to
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decide to remain living here because of the housing crisis local residents struggle with. I think forming a coalition within the
hospital and other larger institutions in this area to help bring some of these ideas to local government would also be really
helpful. There needs to be restrictions on vacation rentals, air bnbs etc.
We are a two income household, which makes it more affordable to live in the area. However if for any reason I were to have
to find housing on my own, I know it would be it would be a struggle both financially and because of low inventory in the area.
I feel some employees could greatly benefit from housing programs such as the ones outlined here.
We are all in such terrible times regarding finances. A neighborhood that was designed for school teachers would be ideal for
so many reasons. A community within a community, would be ideal.
We are lucky in the fact that my husband and my salary combined allows us to have the financial means to afford a home in
Truckee. However, I would say that is not the case for the majority of people that work at Tahoe Forest. I think it is very
important to provide some sort of affordable housing.
We are very lucky to own a condo, but I am frustrated that I cannot move to a home, because it is out of our financial ability.
We can't afford to take vacations beyond camping with this level of income. We can pay all bills currently.
We have been trying to buy a home for several years, but the prices are very high for even a "fixer-upper". Homes are
purchased by people from out of the area as Air BNBs or vacation homes. locals don't have a chance because they come in
with cash and pay above asking price.
We live in Reno and both work in Truckee and kids attend Truckee schools.
We lived in potentially the grossest two bedroom home available within the town of Truckee, and it was disgusting upon
move-in. The landlord provided very limited assistance with making it livable, as they know that they can find other desperate
renters. We invested hundreds in supplies and sweat equity to literally make it habitable. We were fortunate to be able to
move and purchase our own home within about 10 months, but the conditions were fairly deplorable in this rental, and this is
exactly what this town offers to people within a given price point (sub $2000/mo rental). The hospital needs to understand that
it is exceptionally difficult to find housing here.
We moved here before housing was expensive. We bought our home in 2000. I do think housing costs are too expensive for
new/ younger teachers to afford liviing in this area.
WE OWN OUR HOME WITH NO MORTGAGE
We should get a housing stipend like other Placer County employees get for living in the Tahoe Truckee region.
what about property taxes and insurance...
While housing for employees is important, TTUSD needs to consider that long time employees may not need these benefits,
so how can long term employees be honored for longevity? Pay scale currently is high for first year employees, but 20+ years
see no increase in pay.
While I appear to make enough money, I have children in college. I also have extra expenses to pay for elderly parents and
medical.
While my husband and I make a decent salary, our student loans are absolutely crippling to our financial mobility. We pay
more than our mortgage in student loans each month. Student loan forgiveness or a stipend towards student loans would be a
huge incentive for employees of the district, in my opinion.
you should ask/include how much one pays in debt- loans, cc, etc. a month
You will never be able to fix this from an employer. This is a city problem. They opened up "affordable housing" that was a
one bedroom or studio for 1500 a month.... This aint cheap and when I went to look at it, I was told I make to much and dont
have any other special circumstances that would allow me to live there. You will see increased churn rates in all your
employers. This is a transient town where most people work multiple jobs and can hardly afford to even get groceries here.
Unless there is some significant changes to city policy you have no chance of fixing this.