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Letter: Tahoe Transportation District needs to take a stand on affordable housing

Dear editor,

I am writing about the ads that I see in the Tribune from the Tahoe Transportation District. The one that says “publishing these commitments demonstrates that the TTD board recognizes affordable housing as a critical piece in the revitalization project’s success.”

I can’t tell you how mad that makes me! Recognizing affordable housing? Well that’s great, but it does nothing for anybody! The problem is the overwhelming amount of vacation rentals by owners that are taking over this community. It’s like we are cheap selling the lake. We have residential areas being flooded by businesses (yes running a VRBO is a business). I can’t believe the city will allow advertisements on the front on these homes.



Multi family residential homes are now B&Bs. There’s no real regulation or thought to permits being issued and where they are being issued. People born here are becoming an endangered species. We are being told by the TTD in its ad that housing is its first priority, while they plan on ripping out 75 plus residential homes? Quit publishing a bunch of BS ads and do something. Your influence as TTD could help force City Council to put restrictions on vacation rentals by owner, like no multi-family homes or only certain percentages of certain neighborhoods can have permits.

It should be a privilege, not a right. I can’t rent a space at the Crescent Shopping area and decide to live there. The same should apply to residential areas. Otherwise it’s opening the flood gates for other home businesses. TTD, you would have more support from the community if you took a stand. I refuse to sit by another year and have choices made for myself and the lake — a lake I am madly in love with. If I hear one more time, “attend a City Council meeting,” well, unless the city moves the meeting to the center of town by the court house or library, it’s not a option. Having City Council meetings way out by the airport, where there isn’t any public transportation, is a crime. You wouldn’t need affordable housing if we didn’t have over 2,000 vacation rentals — 434 alone on VRBO. TTD, if your ads are true then please help with this growing cancer of AIRBB, VRBO.



Help move our City Council meetings to the middle of town, and give the people a voice again. In 2017, TTD, please help protect the integrity of our local population.

Sincerely frustrated,

Jade Hemsley

Stateline, Nevada


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