Village on Sage Street A local developer is creating practical, attractive housing for some of the area’s most vulnerable
by K at h l e e n V i va l d i
D
emand for housing is at crisis proportions for low-income residents in Washoe County, where rents are rising in some cases by more than 50%. But the Village on Sage Street, the brainchild of the Community Foundation of Western Nevada, is making big strides in helping low-income individuals meet their needs for housing. The concept began when Chris Askin, president and CEO of the foundation, attended the Truckee Meadows Healthy Communities event in 2017, where he and other stakeholders began discussing the housing problem. They ultimately decided to act and implement a plan. “The timeline was from conception of the idea in April 2018, to breaking ground in July of 2018, to project completion in July of 2019,” Askin recalls. “We launched before we had funding and were able to secure most of the funding as we went along, but
still need to secure $3.5 million of the total project cost of $9.5 million.”
“ The goal is to house about 200 people at any given time…to either stabilize their lives or avoid homelessness.” Chris Askin, president and CEO Community Foundation of Western Nevada
The Village on Sage Street is composed of long, narrow modular structures, and is single-occupancy living. There are 216 dorm-style private rooms with shared bathrooms. The site, located at 300 Sage Street, is conveniently located near public transportation and the airport. The area is landscaped and includes a communal dining area, grab-and-go food options, a small store, laundry facilities, a gym, business services, an
outdoor fireplace and a service-animal relief area. Askin says occupancy is currently at 104 people with another 12 moving in. Individuals qualify who earn 30-60% of median income in Nevada and pass a background check. Once accepted, they pay $400 a month in rent. “The goal is to house about 200 people at any given time, who have low income, to either stabilize their lives and/or avoid homelessness,” says Askin. “Rents in Reno are typically $800 or more, closer to $1,100 for studio apartments, so low-income people who used to find cheap rents in local motels and older apartments have been priced out. There is no limit on how long people can stay, but we anticipate stays of months, not years, as people move to other housing.” Sage Street is made possible with collaboration from the City of Reno, Volunteers of America, private companies, Community Foundation
8 | Building a Better Tomorrow | Washoe County Health District | A Special Advertising Supplement
Sage Street offers dorm-style rooms and common areas. Photo courtesy of Community Foundation of Western Nevada
donors, and community members. This project has won numerous awards in economic development, community partners and planning.
