SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – On September 25, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) held their Best in Basin awards, which recognize projects that “exhibit outstanding planning and execution and lead the way in regional collaboration and environmental stewardship” according to TRPA. Of those projects, the TRPA recognized the Riverside Homes project from the Saint Joseph Community Land Trust (SJCLT), which was established in 2022.

Jean Diaz, the executive director for the independent nonprofit that’s existed for over 20 years, said it was founded to expand and preserve housing in the area. SJCLT has helped with Sugar Pine and Sierra Gardens apartments, two of the low-income rental projects in the area.

For the Riverside homes, SJCLT planned to make “permanently affordable ownership” by buying and owning the land under the house, which removes the land appreciation cost from the bill. SJCLT provides homes for those who meet the income eligibility criteria for the property, which is typically 120% or less of the County Area Median Income.

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The city of South Lake Tahoe sold the three Riverside lots to SJCLT for $1, which allowed them to begin construction on the houses there. Diaz said, “Getting land is always difficult in the Basin.”

But the COVID-19 pandemic halted progress on the project—because of supply chain issues, said Diaz, the cost for building went up. “We had enough of an economic cushion for that, but it impacts the kind of construction we’ll have moving forward,” he said.

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Once the constructions were finished, though, SJCLT was able to sell the homes to three qualified local families, who SJCLT maintains contact with to ensure stewardship of their homes. “I think it was a big win providing three new quality homes for moderate income families,” said Diaz. “They’re very happy—they’re all local, work in local businesses, and have children.”

The provided families’ testimonies say as much. One testimony reads, “St. Joseph’s Community Land Trust’s Riverside Ave. Homeownership Program came into our lives at a time where we needed it most. Not only do we get to stay in South Lake Tahoe, but we get to own a home without burdening others.”

Another reads, “Being a homeowner had always been a goal of ours, and we are so appreciative of your help in helping our dream become a reality. Having a place for our family to call our own has not only created a greater peace of mind for us, but has allowed us to call the house we live in not just a house but our home.”

The last of the three says, “This is the best neighborhood in Tahoe.  Centrally located and right by the Lake. Without Saint Joseph Community Land Trust that would not have been possible.  It’s a wonderful program and we feel blessed to be a part of it.”

Two of the testimonies are especially excited about the opportunity to raise their families in South Lake Tahoe—but all of them express that their homeownership wouldn’t be possible without SJCLT.

Diaz said that the organization is happy to receive recognition from TRPA because, “Housing is such a severe problem here.” SJCLT has been a part of a group that TRPA incentivizes housing for, as their mission and environmental efforts align with TRPA.

SJCLT continues to provide homebuyer education and a motel-to-housing project, especially for those who have children. Currently, SJCLT is working on two-acre sites for Kateri Village, which are affordable housing units for low and moderate-income families. The new project will use modular building for its duplexes and triplexes, one of the adjustments that SJCLT made as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kateri Village is modeled after the “pocket neighborhood” idea, according to Diaz. He said, “To build a sense of community, it’s important to create the right environment. We want to create self-sustaining areas and we’re planning for these homes to face inward to large common areas.”

The SJCLT also plans to start their Tahoe Affordable Home Ownership Enabling program, also called the TAHOE program, once they are in a stabilized economic environment. The project is meant to provide funds to help income-qualified families buy homes in the SJCLT portfolios, but was put on hold due to the Caldor Fire and the pandemic.

In the near future, SJCLT will be at the Sugar Pine Village grand opening on October 17.

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.