Housing

Most of us cannot comprehend being without a home. Yet many in our County, as in other places, live in tentative situations. For several reasons, affordable and adequate housing has become increasingly hard to come by.

Tuolumne County has a shortage of build-able land due to our lovely foothills and National Forest and Park lands. Building material costs have increased exponentially in the last few years. The infrastructure needed for development—water, sewer, roads, power—is expensive and unavailable.

We cannot improve everyone’s housing situation, but we must take steps in the right direction. We can continue to apply for state and federal housing funding, and perhaps partner with Habitat for Humanity and other local groups to rehabilitate our older homes and build modest new units.

The County has received funding for, and begun, several new projects for permanent or transitional housing for a few of those in need. The problem is finding resources to oversee and maintain these projects.

There are several subsidized apartment complexes in the County; however, 571 of those units may lose their subsidies in the next few years, resulting in even fewer affordable units and more unsheltered people.

Resiliency Village is a shining example of a successful grassroots project. Surely we can do more to help our working families, seniors, and disabled community members live in adequate affordable housing.