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County expands housing programs; staff recommends updating encampment protocol, not immediate managed‑camp model
Summary
County housing staff reviewed new and ongoing programs — the MORE manufactured‑home grant, down‑payment assistance, and HomeKey scattered sites — and recommended adopting an updated encampment protocol aligned with state guidance instead of immediately standing up managed camp models without stable funding.
Nevada County's housing and community services team outlined a bundle of programs intended to expand affordable and supportive housing while cautioning against committing to high‑cost managed encampment models without sustainable operations funding.
Tyler Barrington (Housing & Community Services) described the Manufactured Housing Revitalization Opportunities (MORE) grant, a $1.5 million state award to repair and replace aging mobile homes: "About 74% of applicants are over age 60 and many homes are 40+ years old," Barrington said, explaining the program will fund a limited number of replacements and repairs.
Staff reviewed other tools in place: a $600,000 board‑authorized down‑payment assistance pilot to help workforce buyers, CalHome funds for low‑income buyers, and HomeKey scattered sites to create permanent supportive housing. Ryan Groover briefed supervisors on the competitive grant landscape (including HAP rounds) and noted state funding is often skewed toward urban jurisdictions.
On the grand jury recommendation to consider managed camping or sanctioned camps, staff reported a comparative review of other counties' models (Auburn/Placer low‑barrier tent site, Sutter tough‑sheds, Santa Rosa safe parking) and concluded that high‑service models carry large ongoing operating costs and are not cost‑effective without reliable multi‑year funding. The board directed staff to update and formally adopt an encampment protocol aligned with state guidance and to continue housing first investments.
Next steps: staff will bring a revised encampment protocol for board adoption and continue pursuing shovel‑ready projects and competitive grants to support permanent and bridge housing.
