Golden State Today

A new affordable housing project in South Lake Tahoe, named Sugar Pine Village, has opened its doors to residents. This development is part of Governor Gavin Newsom's initiative to transform underutilized state land into housing. The project aims to provide 248 homes for families and workers in the region, with 68 units now available.

Governor Newsom emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, "Today we advance our strategy of transforming underutilized state properties into thriving affordable living communities for Californians." He extended his gratitude to Related California and the Saint Joseph Community Land Trust for their efforts in bringing this project to fruition.

The development is notable as it marks the largest affordable housing project in South Lake Tahoe's history. Ana M. Lasso, Director of the Department of General Services, highlighted its significance by saying, “These affordable housing projects are stand-out examples of the state working together to ensure that every Californian has a place to call home.”

Developed by Related California, the first stage includes a mix of studios and multi-bedroom units designed for low-income families. Government Operations Agency Secretary Amy Tong expressed pride in the state's commitment to affordable housing: “This landmark affordable housing project brings us one step closer to providing housing for all residents of South Lake Tahoe.”

Sugar Pine Village features environmentally friendly building practices and offers amenities such as parks and walking trails. Tomiquia Moss from the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency praised the project's potential impact: “The re-envisioning of this state-owned site into housing will help hundreds of working families struggling with housing security access dignified and affordable homes.”

The next phase will add another 60 units by October 2025. Gustavo Velasquez from Housing and Community Development described it as a model project under Governor Newsom’s order: “It exemplifies the type of project envisioned under the Governor’s order to identify excess state sites for affordable housing."

Ann Silverberg from Related California called it a major milestone: “This is a major milestone for building high-quality housing efficiently and affordably.” She thanked various partners including Governor Newsom and local agencies for their collaboration.

Sugar Pine Village represents one of several projects completed under Newsom's executive order on excess sites. To date, 49 sites have been identified statewide for similar developments.

Earlier this month, another significant development was announced involving a DMV building transformation in San Francisco that will include 372 homes for low-income families.

Governor Newsom has been active since taking office in addressing California's housing crisis through investments exceeding $40 billion in production efforts alongside reforms aimed at streamlining processes related to environmental assessments.