Plumas Community Development Corporation seeks $500,000 seed from PG&E settlement for down‑payment program; board tables request to Feb. 4

The Plumas Community Development Corporation (PCDC) asked the Plumas County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 21 to commit $500,000 from the county's PG&E settlement fund to seed a down‑payment assistance program the nonprofit would administer.

Roger Diefendorf, PCDC's executive director, presented a proposal that would use $200,000 for two years of startup and administration and reserve $800,000 for direct assistance if matched by other partners. The model PCDC described would make awards roughly in the $50,000 range to eligible households to support purchase of an existing or newly built starter home; Diefendorf said the pilot could fund about 16 families with that seed and that the nonprofit intends to stack other programs and apply to state programs such as CalHome to expand capacity.

Heidi Allstead, executive director of the Truckee Tahoe Workforce Housing Agency, joined by Zoom and described her agency’s experience administering employer‑linked purchase programs in the Truckee‑Tahoe region and stressed that down‑payment assistance can work as part of a broader housing strategy. Allstead said similar programs have supported a significant number of households in neighboring regions.

Board members and members of the public voiced broad support for addressing workforce housing and the county’s post‑fire housing needs, but several supervisors asked for additional clarity on the Dixie Fire Collaborative matching commitment and for the county to set priorities for settlement fund uses before large disbursements. The Dixie Fire Collaborative steering committee had not yet taken a final vote on a matching contribution; staff said the committee would consider the proposal at its Feb. 3 meeting.

Supervisor Jeff Engle moved to approve a $500,000 commitment contingent on a matching amount from the Dixie Fire Collaborative and to prioritize the remainder of settlement funds during the county’s upcoming budget workshop; Supervisor Tom McGowan seconded. After discussion the board voted to table the request to its Feb. 4 meeting to allow the collaborative to consider a match and to give staff time to provide a budget and administrative breakdown for the $200,000 startup request. The motion to table passed.

Why it matters: The request would put county settlement funds to work on a workforce and post‑disaster housing strategy that county staff and local nonprofits say is essential for rebuilding communities and supporting employers recovering from the Dixie Fire. Supervisors emphasized they want program details, stacking plans with state or private funds, and confirmation of partner contributions before final appropriation.

What’s next: Staff and PCDC will return with a fuller budget and administrative plan at the board’s Feb. 4 meeting; the Dixie Fire Collaborative will discuss a possible matching contribution on Feb. 3.