SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Last Tuesday’s City Council meeting had city housing manager Jessica Wackenhut Lomeli at the podium for several items, including discussing an amendment to employee housing ordinances, contracts with the Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless and Live Violence Free, and decisions on Placemate’s role in the Lease to Locals program, which ends on January 15, 2025.

Employee housing ordinance

As ski season ramps up and resorts start to open, seasonal employee housing has become a more pertinent topic. Of the eight employee housing options available in the city, five have currently active permits required by the California Employee Housing Act. Four are owned by Heavenly and Aramark Sports and Entertainment own one—however, Edgewood Tahoe also had unpermitted housing available for employees. After city staff reached out to the employee housing in the city, Edgewood Tahoe responded and will apply for an annual permit beginning January 2025.

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Because employee housing conditions have been a concern, city staff have offered a housing issue hotline to help residents report issues with rental units that are considered substandard housing. The housing hotline page on the city states, “Your landlord is required to provide effective waterproofing and weather protection of roof and outside walls, including unbroken windows; hot and cold running water provided and connected to a sewage disposal system; plumbing and gas facilities in good working order; electrical lighting with wiring and electrical equipment maintained in good working order; floors, stairways, and railings, maintained in good repair; and the building and all grounds free of rodents and other pests.”

Since the beginning of the year, city staff have only received one complaint from an employee housing location. Staff has also reached out to the general public to inform them about employee housing.

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Wackenhut Lomeli requested that city council pass a motion to hold a first reading by title only of the ordinance amendment—the second reading and actual adoption would be relegated to the December 10 city council meeting.

The ordinance would amend Title 6 of the City Code all employee housing under the California Employee Housing Act must post signage in English and Spanish that both includes the Employee Housing Act and Employee Housing: Safe and Sanitary, which includes a number and mailing address for reporting unsafe conditions. This amendment would also stipulate the sign must be posted in a conspicuous central location.

The motion to hold a first reading passed unanimously.

Pay for Success Contracts for Live Violence Free and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless

Both Live Violence Free (LVF) and Tahoe Coalition for the Homeless (TCH) have partnered with the city for a long time. However, their funding sources are heavily reliant on grants, which can only be used for particular services and are typically reimbursement-based. For these smaller organizations, these grants can take a long time to be reimbursed and do not completely cover the operations costs, making it more difficult to provide services.

Wackenhut Lomeli recommended the City of South Lake Tahoe utilize the Pay For Success contract method to give these organizations more funding. This would mean the City would enter into separate contracts with LVF and TCH to pay them for interventions to achieve certain outcomes. Those outcomes include the number of referrals from City of South Lake Tahoe departments like development services, fire, and police; the number of individuals remaining in housing; and the number of individuals placed into housing. These contracts would not exceed $40,000 for each agency.

Councilmember Devin Middlebrook asked about potential uses and outcomes and stated that the city should “not get too focused on housing” in case clients of either organization needed resources that weren’t housing.

During public comment, Chelcee Thomas, executive director of Live Violence Free, urged city council to adopt the Pay For Success model, saying, “This initiative is a significant step towards addressing the complex and interconnected challenges of homelessness and housing instability in South Lake Tahoe. [It] creates tangible outcomes, provides cost savings to the city, and strengthens partnerships.”

Councilmember Tamara Wallace brought up the need for a “warm room”—a place for people to stay overnight when it gets cold outside. Wackenhut Lomeli clarified that TCH has the funds for a shelter, which has 14 beds, but it requires an intake process and shelter cannot be given on a walk-in basis.

Both Wallace and councilmember Scott Robbins expressed their support for this program, along with a warm room service, which TCH used to run before switching to a more permanent housing support model.

At city manager Joe Irvin’s clarification on what could be done, Robbins added to the motion that city staff also work with TCH to consider solutions for a warm room. The motion passed unanimously.

Lease to Locals update

The Lease to Locals program incentivizes property owners to convert their underutilized housing and supports those who are renting through grants. Since the program started three years ago, it has unlocked 52 households and housed 127 residents: 105 adults and 22 children. According to the housing manager’s report provided to city council, the Lease to Locals program is the only active program in the city geared towards moderate-income residents. Of the 38 properties in the program, 30 have renewed their leases for another year.

However, the Professional Services Agreement with Placemate, a company that has provided a website and resources for the Lease to Locals program, is ending on January 15, 2025. As there are still active properties and people involved in the program, City Council was required to discuss what the next steps were.

Wackenhut Lomeli presented four options: city staff taking over for Placemate after January 15, Placemate’s contract being renewed to wind down remaining outstanding grants until January 15, 2026, the program continuing as is through the end of 2025, and expansion of the program, including six-month seasonal leases through the end of 2025. Neither she nor Zachary Thomas, director of development services, made an official recommendation.

Through discussion of the programs, city council considered whether city staff should take over and ultimately decided to renew their contract with Placemate due to the robust services and platform Placemate offered.

During public comment, several people brought up the conflict around six-month leases, as they serve seasonal employees more than those who want more permanent residency. Some brought up that there should be seasonal housing at Motel 6, though the site has already been slated for demolition due to its position in an environmentally sensitive area. Others, like Nick Speal, voiced their support for expanding the Lease to Locals program due to vacant homes in the area.

While Wallace pushed back against the idea of providing for seasonal employees because she felt they weren’t part of the city council’s constituents, Robbins vocally opposed her, saying, “Everybody who lives here is our constituent, whether it’s for decades or a winter.”

After some questions from city council, Thomas said that he anticipated more positive outcomes from Lease to Locals that would help it continue long-term, such as landlords liking their tenants—something he’s already seen.

Wallace brought forth the motion to expand the program, including six-month seasonal leases, through the end of 2025 and renewing the contract with Placemate. The motion passed, with Robbins as the only opposing vote.

Eli Ramos is a reporter for Tahoe Daily Tribune. They are part of the 2024–26 cohort of California Local News Fellows through UC Berkeley.