Mono County outlines housing programs, funding and projects including Bridgeport conversion and behavioral-health units

County staff provided a multi-department update on Mono County housing programs and financing at the Housing Authority—s annual meeting.

Community-development staff said the county has secured roughly $1,460,000 in a mix of state grants and general-fund investments to support affordable-housing planning and projects. Staff reported the Affordable Housing Fund balance at "a little bit over $4,900,000," and described the Local Housing Trust Fund as "$6.73" in the staff remarks; the packet did not specify units for that figure during the presentation and staff said they would clarify the fund accounting in follow-up materials.

Staff noted several completed and in-progress projects: the Innsbruck Lodge (15 units in Mammoth Lakes) and a Homekey project supported with $400,000; the county—s 2024 acquisition of the Bridgeport Apartments (which staff said had previously operated as short-term rentals and has been converted to long-term housing); and a small transitional unit in June Lake. Public Works is completing foundation and electrical upgrades at Bridgeport and staff said occupancy by emergency medical services personnel is imminent once cleanup is finished.

Amanda Greenberg, who identified herself as a manager for Mono County Behavioral Health, outlined the department—s housing work: Behavioral Health operates 13 permanent supportive units at the Sawyer (an 81-unit affordable complex in Mammoth), serving 26 residents. Greenberg described on-site supports (case management, substance-use-disorder counseling), community programming (weekly recovery check-ins, pizza-and-game night), and program outcomes: over the last year four residents moved into other housing and two clients "graduated" from services but continued to live at the Sawyer under property-held leases.

Greenberg also summarized transitional-program operations: the Manzanita Transitional House provides four beds (up to 12-month stays) and the county has used a Bridge Housing grant (to be fully spent by 06/30/2027) for hotel/motel stays, rental assistance and a time-limited housing-analyst position. She said the originally proposed Elms Motel site is not proceeding and staff are exploring alternative regional interim housing solutions and a housing navigator position to be funded through the grant.

Kathy Peterson, Health & Human Services director, presented four client-facing programs funded through state allocations (Housing Support/CalWORKs, HomeSafe, Bringing Families Home, and Housing and Disability Advocacy Program). Peterson said those programs typically receive about $250,000 per program per year from state sources (subject to annual budget approval) and that most are currently slated to end 06/30/2028 unless reauthorized; utilization numbers were provided for each program.

On the Lee Vining Community Center housing opportunity, staff described a park-model ownership approach where residents own units and either an HOA or the county would own the land; staff discussed tentative parcel maps, ownership and use-permit choices, and said County Counsel believes the project is likely exempt from the Surplus Lands Act pending required processes.

Board members generally expressed support for advancing the Lee Vining site planning and for layering funding tools (for example, combining down-payment assistance with deed restrictions) to preserve long-term affordability. Staff said consultants are under contract to deliver further analysis in June and that additional policy options and program details will return to the board for direction.