Truckee Shelter Runs Nearly Full as Housing Remains Scarce

TRUCKEE – Truckee’s 16-bed homeless shelter has been operating close to capacity, and a shortage of permanent housing is limiting residents’ ability to move on, Nevada County supervisors heard Tuesday, October 6.

The Truckee Navigation Center’s six interim housing beds averaged 98% occupancy from February through September 9. Its ten emergency shelter beds averaged 94%, according to the county’s presentation. Health and Human Services Agency Director Ryan Gruver said use remained high through a mild winter and the summer.

Through September 9, the center had served 63 people overnight: 42 from Nevada County, 12 from Placer County, and nine from elsewhere, according to Volunteers of America.

Several people were ready for housing and waiting for units to become available, Gruver told the board. At the time of the report, the Nevada County portion of the Tahoe–Truckee region had no permanent supportive housing, which pairs affordable housing with services that help residents remain housed.

“Right now that is the bottleneck and the barrier is availability of housing units after the navigation center,” Gruver said.

Soon, the Truckee Town Council and Tahoe Forest Hospital District must make decisions about another year of funding and a proposed increase to as many as 25 beds during periods of greater need. The boards of both are scheduled to consider those proposals at a joint meeting October 13.

The center opened in February as a one-year pilot at 12315 Deerfield Drive, serving people experiencing homelessness in Truckee and North Tahoe, across the eastern portions of Nevada and Placer counties. Volunteers of America operates it, with staff on site around the clock. Interim housing allows longer stays as guests work toward a permanent home. Residents receive case management, help with employment and benefits, and connections to medical care and treatment.

Day services also reach people who are staying elsewhere. Through September 9, the day center served 61 unique guests, and the facility provided 3,841 meals to residents and day visitors combined.

People seeking a shelter bed can call 530-606-5457 to request a referral, according to the county’s service information. Drop-in day services are available Monday through Friday from 12 PM to 3 PM.

The presentation reported one person had moved into long-term housing and eight others had been diverted or relocated to stable housing or support. A newer staff report prepared for the October 13 meeting lists two long-term housing placements and ten diversions or relocations.

Pacific Crest Commons, a new 55-apartment affordable housing complex in Truckee, is expected to provide a new path out of the shelter. It occupies the former California Highway Patrol property at 10077 State Route 89 South. Ten apartments will provide permanent supportive housing, with on-site services from Nevada County Behavioral Health. Gruver said these will be the first such units in the Nevada County portion of the region. County materials place the development’s opening in late 2026.

Staff’s October 13 report recommends those apartments for shelter residents, beginning with people in the six interim beds, followed by emergency shelter guests.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Supervisor Hardy Bullock described staff helping guests obtain documents and use telephones to apply for jobs, as well as providing food and haircuts. He emphasized continuing support as people leave the shelter for housing.

Supervisor Heidi Hall asked whether Placer County could help pursue joint grant funding. Gruver said Placer was already a funding partner and its use of the center had exceeded expectations. Volunteers of America could pursue funding through both counties’ regional homelessness programs, he said.

The pilot’s public funding came from Nevada County, Truckee, and the hospital district, which committed $360,000 each, and Placer County’s $75,000 contribution. A $200,000 Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation grant and approximately $130,000 in local fundraising helped cover the first year, according to the county’s staff report.

The Tahoe Truckee Homeless Action Coalition, which brings together public agencies, nonprofits, and community representatives, unanimously recommended continuing the center at its Deerfield location for another year at its September 9 meeting.

For the second year, in 2027, the proposal requests up to $235,000 each from Truckee, the hospital district, and Nevada County, along with $75,000 from Placer County and additional charitable support. The October 13 agenda asks the town and hospital boards to authorize their contributions. Gruver said county agreements and the Volunteers of America contract would return to supervisors if the partners commit funding, with November 17 as the target.

The proposal also includes up to nine additional beds for four winter months. Staff describe that temporary capacity as a way to provide shelter during severe weather and beds for people recovering after hospital discharge, with referrals from Truckee, Nevada County, and the hospital district. The agencies and the coalition’s neighborhood representative would work out the conditions for activating the extra beds.

Town and hospital staff also recommend pausing other work under the regional homeless action plan while agencies focus on the center, nearby businesses, and the Coldstream neighborhood.

Gruver said the county and operator are pursuing grants, philanthropy, and Medi-Cal reimbursement for eligible services to reduce reliance on local public dollars.

Nevada County is also seeking a Community Development Block Grant to buy the Deerfield building. The proposed second-year budget uses roughly $252,000 carried over from pilot funding and assumes county ownership would eliminate rent. Accepting the grant would require the property to provide services for people experiencing homelessness for five years, according to the October 13 report.

The coalition’s Coldstream neighborhood representative supported another year of operations but opposed the separate building-purchase recommendation, citing concern about making that five-year commitment before the pilot had completed a full year. The report says the representative subsequently expressed no concerns about the overflow-bed option.

Town and hospital staff are asking their boards to give direction on future funding commitments. Staff say the anticipated savings from owning the building and Medi-Cal reimbursement would still leave operating costs for public partners and fundraising to cover.

The October 13 joint meeting is scheduled for 5:30 PM at Truckee Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road.