Housing affordability has long been a challenge in the Lake Tahoe region, and a new survey is now putting hard numbers behind what many residents experience every day.

Earlier this year, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), in partnership with the Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation, surveyed people who live and work in the Greater Lake Tahoe region. The goal was to better understand how housing and transportation challenges are affecting daily life in the basin.

The survey included more than 40 questions and was offered in both English and Spanish. Organizers also worked with local nonprofit organizations to reach people who are often underrepresented or left out of traditional surveys.

That outreach was a key focus of the effort, said Jeff Cowen with TRPA.

“This is one of the first times that we’ve taken a survey and focused it as much as possible on underrepresented groups and really trying to reach into communities and populations that are often hard to reach,” Cowen said. “These are often the people whose housing challenges are harder to find and harder to see.”

The results highlight widespread financial strain. Sixty-six percent of respondents say they are housing cost-burdened, meaning they spend at least 30 percent of their income on rent.

Participants cited rising rents, increasing insurance and utility costs, and poor housing conditions as their biggest challenges. Many renters reported that they do not qualify for affordable housing programs or are unable to find homes that are available year-round.

Housing instability is also a significant concern. Fifteen percent of respondents say they have experienced homelessness at some point while living in the Tahoe Basin. Some reported sleeping in their cars or moving frequently between friends’ homes.

Despite these pressures, many residents are trying to stay close to where they work or attend school. About 42 percent of respondents live within five miles of their job or school. Among those who commute into the basin, most said they would prefer to live closer if housing were available and affordable.

Organizers say the survey will help TRPA and advisory groups better understand the challenges facing residents most impacted by the region’s housing shortage and affordability crisis, and inform future planning and policy decisions.