$356,500 from Martis Fund this year will help North Tahoe/Truckee workforce to find, secure, and navigate local housing challenges

May 20, 2024 North Lake Tahoe-Truckee – Sierra Community House, a nonprofit focused on empowering the North Tahoe/Truckee community through family strengthening, crisis intervention, hunger relief, housing support, and legal services, is grateful to receive funding from The Martis Fund, a collaborative project of Martis Camp landowners, DMB/Highlands Group (the developers of Martis Camp), Mountain Area Preservation (MAP), and Sierra Watch. This year’s $356,250 Martis Fund grant will strengthen Sierra Community House’s ability to help local workers avoid eviction and sustain housing by providing advocacy services and direct payments to landlords, utility companies and other housing-related costs.  

Lake Tahoe is renowned for its scenic beauty and recreational opportunities; however, the local workforce faces significant challenges finding and retaining affordable housing. With this funding and the strategic investment in Sierra Community House’s mission, since 2014, more than $1Million dollars in Martis Fund grants have been activated to support workforce housing assistance, showing the direct and immediate impact of these funds. These funds are instrumental to building Sierra Community House’s capacity for providing eviction prevention, case management, and direct rent/utility assistance payments. 

“The discrepancy between wages and housing costs makes it difficult to find affordable housing within a reasonable commuting distance to workplaces,” said Paul Bancroft, Executive Director at Sierra Community House. “With the help from Martis Fund, our team will continue working to alleviate these challenges by connecting families and individuals with the services they need, whether it be one-time rental assistance or eviction prevention.”  

Addressing these workforce housing issues requires Sierra Community House’s multi-faceted approach that includes help with household budgeting, education on renter’s rights and responsibilities, benefit enrollment, direct assistance, and other services aimed at enhancing household stability. 

“Ensuring a sustainable solution for workforce housing has been a longtime priority for Martis Fund,” Amy Kelley, Program Coordinator, Martis Fund. “We feel confident that partnering with Sierra Community House will create a more inclusive and viable community where all residents have access to safe, affordable housing options for the long term.” 

Sierra Community House remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering collaboration to tackle housing challenges and foster a vibrant, inclusive community for all North Tahoe/Truckee region residents. Such endeavors are only made possible through vital funding support from organizations. 

About Sierra Community House 

Sierra Community House’s mission is to connect and empower our community through family strengthening, crisis intervention, hunger relief, and legal services. On July 1, 2019, four long-standing non-profit, social service organizations — Family Resource Center of Truckee, North Tahoe Family Resource Center, Tahoe SAFE Alliance, and Project MANA — united to form Sierra Community House. Sierra Community House is a 501c3, non-profit organization. Our goal is to better serve our region, share resources, leverage partnerships, and connect individuals and families with the services they need to thrive to build the strength, safety, and resilience of the community. 

About Martis Fund  

The Martis Fund, a collaborative project of Martis Camp landowners, DMB/Highlands Group (the developers of Martis Camp), Mountain Area Preservation (MAP), and Sierra Watch. (See www.martisfund.org for more information)