About Whatt
Mission
Uniting and leading employers, employees, and the community to educate, advocate, and facilitate the implementation of affordable workforce housing in the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe Region.
History
WHATT is a non-profit membership organization formed in 2002 to address the affordable workforce housing shortage in the North Lake Tahoe/Truckee region.
The group was formed by the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce and concerned business leaders who saw a downward trend in the ability to recruit and retain staff at all levels. WHATT is governed by a board of directors and has 3 full-time staff members. Currently, WHATT’s funding is through membership fees, fees for housing services and grants.
WHATT believes that the members of the community have a collective responsibility to address and solve the current affordable workforce housing deficit before this crisis causes irreparable damage to individual businesses and the entire community. Currently WHATT is the only organization whose sole purpose is to see to the creation, operation and long term stewardship of affordable workforce housing in the Truckee/North Lake Tahoe region.
WHATT believes that the North Lake Tahoe/Truckee housing crisis will only be solved through a combination of solutions, including both “for rent” and “for purchase” tax credit based affordable housing, “granny flats,” employer-owned housing, co-housing, sweat equity housing and dorm-style housing. WHATT’s staff, board of directors, members and strategic partners will continue to work on all fronts to facilitate the creation of a wide variety of affordable workforce housing.
WHATT recently composed an in-depth business plan to expand WHATT’s roles to include becoming a Community Housing Development Organization, development partner, community outreach coordinator, income qualification specialist, sales agent as well as long-term steward of the region’s scarce affordable housing resources.
WHATT is providing housing for those whose income falls in the very low, low, and moderate levels.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
1. Built awareness of the social and economic damage caused by the lack of affordable workforce housing and the decline local population.
2. Partnered on first affordable housing development – Frishman Hollow in Truckee.
A. Led the campaign and got approval for the change of zoning on the Alder Drive/ P-C2 from Open Space to High Density Residential for use in affordable housing.
B. Held community workshops to help facilitate an affordable housing neighborhood that is planned by the community.
C. Received approval from the Truckee Planning Commission for Phase I of Frishman Hollow – 32-unit apartment complex that will be affordable to those making up to 45% of median income.
3. WHATT is currently marketing and income qualifying tenants for the 92-unit Henness Flats complex. The apartments will be affordable to those making 35%, 50% and 60% of median income.
4. Composed a Business Plan for the organization to expand its roles to include those of affordable housing developer and housing services coordinator.
A. Sought and received grant funding from Placer County, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, and the Town of Truckee to pay for the creation of the Business Plan.
B. Hired a knowledgeable consultant and convened a group of stakeholders to draft the Business Plan.
5. Received a grant from the S. H. Cowell Foundation to expand the organization into the additional roles of affordable housing developer and housing services coordinator.
6. Signed contract with the Town of Truckee to provide Housing Services.
7. Expanded WHATT’s infrastructure by opening an office and hiring an Executive Assistant and a Housing Services Director to work with the Executive Director.
8. Received the Non-Profit Organization of the Year Award for 2006 from the North Lake Tahoe Chamber of Commerce and the Truckee Donner Chamber of Commerce.
9. Effectively worked with numerous governmental jurisdictions and organizations to push forward our mission to develop, operate and maintain affordable workforce housing.
A. Took part in the development of the Truckee General Plan Update and Housing Element. Collaborated with the Town of Truckee on its Affordable Housing Working Group to develop an Inclusionary Housing and Employee Housing Ordinance.
B. Participated in the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Pathways 2007 planning process including its Placed Based Planning group and helped TRPA to focus on policies that are negatively impacting the creation of affordable housing.
C. Contributed to the creation of the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association Master Plan.
D. Collaborated in the development of the Placer County Housing Ordinance and Inclusionary Ordinance.
10. Communicated to the community regarding issues of interest in connection with affordable workforce housing.
11. Held the first regional Affordable Housing Symposium in 2005 as well as several subsequent community workshops to inform the community regarding affordable housing opportunities.