NevCo West Community Land Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to providing housing within reach of middle and lower income households in western Nevada County, celebrated its one year anniversary this week. And what a year it was! Here is a snapshot of their successes thus far:

  • Completed their first 4 dwelling units in Penn Valley, affordable to low income folks earning below 70% Area Median Income, funded 100% by social impact investors
  • Gratefully accepted the donation of the land from the social impact investors so that the CLT can preserve affordability of the homes for the lifetime of the properties via a 99 year renewable ground lease
  • Formed a housing co-op to enable sales of the units and to reduce costs of ownership for everyone by sharing utility and maintenance expenses (average estimated savings $200/month per household)
  • Sold 2 units at cost to a benevolent angel investor who is generously keeping one as a below market rate rental and with rent increase restrictions far below state limits, and…
  • …Who is donating the other unit to the CLT, so they can provide an affordable pathway to home ownership AND have evergreen income to help fund much-needed staff
  • Rented the one unit, with reduced cost of living given rent controls and savings on utility bills
  • Providing down payment assistance and below market purchase price for the donated unit
  • Working with co-op lenders to arrange financing for the remaining units, with now a long list of folks who want to move there, all in great need; and concurrently seeking other angels to donate another unit, so the CLT can reduce cost further for very low income folks
  • Begun construction on two more units that will be done spring 2026, also affordable to low income households
  • Begun pre-development for their next projects in Grass Valley, with many more homes that will be affordable to low income people

Says NevCo West CLT President Tracy Huston, “We could not have achieved these things if it weren’t for the generosity, courage, and conviction of our social impact investors, our angel, our terrific board, and of course the tremendous support from the Community Development Agency and our greater community. We thank you!”

To learn more, see www.NevCoWestCLT.org or follow NevCo West CLT on Facebook.

About NevCo West CLT

NevCo West Community Land Trust is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) whose mission is to address the need for housing for low to moderate income people in Western Nevada County. While our county has made great strides in providing emergency shelter and transitional housing for very low income households, as well as permanent supportive housing for the people who need ongoing support, there remains a gap: housing affordable to young people and families just starting out, for our teachers and farmers and fire fighters, for our elders on fixed incomes, and the minimum wage earners who keep our restaurants and coffee shops and grocery stores running. For our neighbors who earn too much to qualify for subsidized housing and yet not enough to afford the high market rates, NevCo West CLT provides a solution.