No different from our local workforce, those who fight hard to prevent and contain wildfires in our region face serious struggles with finding affordable housing. Acting Supervisor for the Tahoe National Forest, Matt Jedra says the cost of living near the lake is impacting recruiting of temporary and seasonal staff. “The past couple of years have been pretty tough for use,” he said. “Rents we see around the Truckee community, Forest Hill, upwards of two thousand dollars for rent and with entry-level firefighters come in, it’s really tough, they can’t afford that.”

The forest floor is considered one of the most distinct features of the forest ecosystem. It contains various stages of vegetation from new to decomposition all above the soil’s surface. On one piece of land in the Glenshire area, it’s easy to identify. But just across the street the forest floor is overgrown. If a fire were to roar through here, there’s no question where it would take a hold.

The housing crisis in North Lake Tahoe has hit new levels, with multiple organizations coming together to battle the increasing need to support homeless neighbors. “Speaking from a community point of view, and also from a spiritual point of view, your neighbor may not be the person who is residing on your street,” said Rev. Clare Novak with United in Action, a North Tahoe/Truckee coalition of faith-based organizations. “Your neighbor is a person in your community that you’re connected to, and these lines of community connection are so important.”

Following the worst fire season on record, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara is taking aim at high insurance costs for residents in areas threatened by wildfires. “With more Californians rolling up their sleeves and reaching into their own pockets to protect their homes and businesses, insurance pricing must reflect their efforts,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in a news release. “Holding insurance companies accountable for accurately rating wildfire risk in the premiums they charge Californians will help save lives and reduce losses. My new regulations will help encourage a competitive insurance market for all by putting safety first and driving down costs for consumers.” At a meeting during last week’s Forest Futures Salon, the change in regulations, which is planned to go into effect this summer, was addressed by fire officials from around the region, along with officials from the California Department of Insurance.

As ski towns rush to meet the needs of their local workforce, many are beginning to adopt temporary housing plans which would accommodate van lifers who commonly populate ski towns both as tourists and local workers. The Mountain Housing Council discussed the examples of van life solutions in other ski towns as well as possible locations for workforce housing car camping sites at its January quarterly meeting.

Truckee’s cost of living has increased over the course of the pandemic. Much of the local workforce can’t qualify for affordable housing units established over the past year. The Below Market Rate Housing Program seeks to change that.