They are Reno’s biggest bargains. But first, you have to get used to them. They are…small. The size of closets. Chris Askin, the president/CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Nevada tells me, "They’re about 100 square feet. It’s very much like a dorm room."
More like half a dorm room, but made for singles. Inside the units at Village on Sage Street you’ll find a small chair, and smaller TV. A mattress bed with 2 drawers underneath. A desk and a locker made out of wood. Bathrooms are shared. As Leo McFarland, the Volunteers of America CEO describes it, "It really is space efficient. In college I shared a room with a roommate, with a slightly larger room space."
There is free WiFi, but no thermostats or A/C. The 210 units were originally made for miners in Alaska, then used in Wyoming. They were made to withstand 40-below temperatures so they're very well insulated. And the monthly rent…is more than right. McFarland tells me, “$400. And that includes all utilities." That means minimum wage workers can afford it without having to get a roommate. These units are made for folks making a low income, and for seniors on a fixed income. You have to earn less than $32,000 a year and more than $15,960.
Interested? You have plenty to choose from. 150 units are still vacant and available. McFarland says "There was a waiting list of 200 just 6 months ago. But many of those folks we lost contact with so we're reaching back out to them." Askin says, "In this population, they use the free phones and their numbers change frequently. We lost those people but now they're coming in."
But not many. They tell me at this rate, these apartments won't be all full until October. The Village on Sage Street is run by Volunteers of America, which shelters the homeless on Record Street. The goal here ties into that…reducing homelessness. As McFarland put it, "It’s about keeping people from becoming homeless. If you can imagine being employed, you've got income...but you can't afford to live anywhere."
Will this be a success? Despite the empty rooms, organizers are sure it will be. They can tell by what the first tenants think...and how they show it. Chris Askin describes it best: "The look in their face. The feeling of 'I have a place now, that I really can't afford.'"
There are no lease agreements at Village on Sage Street. The rent is month to month. To apply, and find out if you qualify, click the link below:
