Two Days with Secretary Tomiquia Moss and Deputy Secretaries Kergan and Carney from the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency – Part 1

Tags: Achievable Housing, Collaborations, Collective Impact, Community Impact, Community Resilience, Housing, Mountain Housing Council, Partnerships, Strategic Planning, Sustainable Housing Solutions

In July, Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) had the honor of hosting Secretary Tomiquia Moss of the California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency (BCHS), for a two-day tour spotlighting Tahoe-Truckee’s unique housing, and forest-to-housing, challenges and solutions.  She was joined by Sasha Wisotsky Kergan, Deputy Secretary of Housing and Consumer Relations, and Anastasia Carney, Deputy Secretary of External Affairs. Together, we explored how community-rooted solutions in our region could help shape more equitable and scalable strategies for California’s rural and forested communities.

TTCF hosted the tour in collaboration with the League of California Community Foundations as part of a state-wide series. The BCHS Agency recognizes the unique roles that community foundations play in identifying needs and facilitating community-driven strategies. Their visits have provided in-depth understanding of the real issues facing Californians and the mechanisms and solutions that are working to solve them. During their visit, they were particularly inspired by the collaborative mechanism of the Mountain Housing Council of Tahoe Truckee and the creative problem-solving brought to the intersection of the forest health and housing crises experienced by many forested communities.

Day 1: Mountain Housing Council Partners Demonstrate the Power of Collective Impact and Sustained Collaboration in Rural Communities

The tour began with a deep dive into our regional housing landscape at the Mountain Housing Council (MHC) Partner Legacy Meeting. The meeting took place at Domus Management’s King’s Beach Housing, a site home to 77 workforce housing units. This dynamic conversation covered the full continuum of local housing needs, what TTCF refers to as “the rainbow bridge,” across income levels. MHC partners articulated the pressures they face as elected officials and housing experts, including rural homelessness, workforce housing shortages, the compounding pressures of fire insurance costs, and state policies that often leave rural communities behind.

From 2017 to 2023, MHC, facilitated by TTCF, served as a pioneering regional collaboration aimed at tackling one of Tahoe-Truckee’s most pressing issues: housing. Through a collective impact model, MHC brought together 29 diverse partners across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to align around a shared goal—expanding access to achievable local housing that reflects the unique realities of our mountain community. The collective impact approach was driven by a common agenda, shared data and measurement, coordinated efforts across organizations, and dedicated backbone support from TTCF to drive progress. Together, MHC partners built trust, aligned strategies, and launched solutions that no single entity could have achieved alone.

TTCF shared regional data and outcomes from six years of Mountain Housing Council impact:

• 29 partners engaged
• 770 units facilitated
• $80M+ invested in the region
• 15 programs launched
• 3 social enterprises created

Secretary Moss was particularly impressed by the Mountain Housing Council’s cross-sector structure, noting, 

What impresses me most is the collaborative mechanism of the Mountain Housing Council. I would love to see this model replicated in other communities.

TTCF has already been working toward that vision, developing a Mountain Housing Council playbook that is adaptable to other rural regions and has previously shared it with other mountain communities. The Mountain Housing Council’s collective impact model was developed by Stacy Caldwell, TTCF CEO, as a way to bring key, multi-sector stakeholders together for unprecedented collaboration. Together, these 29 stakeholders tackled the housing crisis impacting all of the people of Tahoe Truckee to effect real, measurable change. 

Community-Driven Housing Solutions are About Responding to Humans in North Tahoe

Following the Mountain Housing Council Legacy Meeting, TTCF led secretaries on a curated driving tour through North Lake Tahoe to showcase tangible examples of workforce housing and support services in action. The tour began at Kings Beach Apartments, a 77-unit affordable housing development managed by Domus Property Management. Senior Vice President of Development Meea Kang of Related California and Dolores Estrada, the site’s property manager, shared the story of how the project came to life through creative financing and strong public-private collaboration. 

Estrada highlighted the overwhelming demand for affordable units, pointing to long waitlists and the diverse range of residents in need. This stop brought the data shared at the earlier MHC meeting into sharper focus, grounding it in real community experience.

Completing the Domus Kings Beach Housing Now project in 2012 was a testament to what’s possible—even in a place as complex as Tahoe. Despite steep costs, limited funding, and strict environmental regulations, we delivered 77 affordable homes across six scattered sites, replacing substandard housing and strengthening the community. It showed that with the right partnerships and persistence, workforce housing can succeed here.

– Meea Kang, Senior Vice President of Development, Related California

Creative Infill Solutions – Brown Bear Studios

As the group departed from the Kings Beach Apartments, Kang led a brief driving tour of additional Domus-managed sites, including Brown Bear Studios. Opened in December 2024, Brown Bear Studios is a 14-unit permanent supportive housing facility in Kings Beach that provides stable, long-term housing for individuals experiencing or at risk of chronic homelessness. Residents pay a fixed percentage of their income and receive wraparound support—a comprehensive set of services such as onsite case management, mental health care, substance use support, life skills coaching, and connections to employment or healthcare. 

This holistic model addresses the full spectrum of residents’ needs, helping them remain housed and supported over time. Embodying evidence-based “Housing First” principles, Brown Bear Studios quickly reached capacity and stands as a powerful example of how targeted investments in supportive housing can fill critical gaps in regional stability.

These properties represent smaller-scale but equally critical efforts to increase rental availability for working families, artists, and seasonal employees. As infill developments, they make use of underutilized land within existing neighborhoods—filling in the gaps rather than expanding outward. This approach allows communities to add much-needed housing without requiring large footprints, new roads, or major infrastructure investments. Seeing these projects in context helped illustrate how thoughtful infill can enhance neighborhood vitality while addressing urgent housing needs.

Wraparound Services that Keep People Housed – Sierra Community House

Paul Bancroft, Executive Director of Sierra Community House, welcomed Secretary Moss’ team and spoke to the organization’s critical role in the regional housing landscape. Staff members Teresa Crimmens and Denisse Vega Zarate further illustrated how their legal and crisis support services meet people during moments of acute need—helping them navigate conflict, avoid eviction, and secure safe housing. Their presentation underscored how direct service organizations like Sierra Community House are essential in addressing not only the structural gaps in housing but also the human stories behind them.

From Insight to Impact

This tour offered state leaders not only a glimpse into Tahoe-Truckee’s housing ecosystem but also a deep appreciation for the persistence, creativity, and coordination required to make it work. Each stop reflected a different piece of the housing puzzle—from development and property management to legal advocacy and long-range planning.

Together, they told a powerful story: that rural communities can—and are—developing scalable, people-centered housing strategies that California can learn from.

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We are proud that TTCF was selected to host this important visit and that our collective work can serve as a blueprint for resilient, place-based strategies across California.

To our statewide partners at the League of California Community Foundations, thank you for helping to bring this visit and this collaborative vision to life.

TTCF extends deep appreciation to all the individuals and organizations who made this tour meaningful. Together, we are proving that small, connected communities can lead big, systemic change.

Day One Housing Tour Partners:

• Nevada County, CA
• Placer County
• Related California
• Sierra Community House
• Tahoe Housing Hub
• Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
• Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency
• Town of Truckee

Read Part 2