TRUCKEE, Calif. — In the winter of 2021–22, a group of skiers, snowboarders and filmmakers in the Truckee – Tahoe region turned their cameras toward a problem affecting their own community: a severe housing crisis that has forced locals, including many who make the mountains their home, to leave.
Their motivation wasn’t just curiosity — it was personal. They wanted to tell the stories of people who, like them, live for the slopes but struggle to find a place to live in Tahoe.
“When the winter started, I knew I wanted to work on a ski-related film project ‘about something,’ but I didn’t yet know what that would be,” said film director Elizabeth Cameron. “Very quickly, housing emerged as the most urgent issue affecting both myself and my peers. It was what everyone was struggling with in real time.”
While ski towns are often viewed as idyllic vacation destinations, their reality is far more complicated. Harsh winters, wildfire risk, limited buildable land, and seasonal demand all contribute to an increasingly severe housing crunch.
The resulting documentary, completed in 2023, Room and Board, examines how the housing crisis in the Truckee – Tahoe region is impacting the local ski and snowboard community. It explores the data and root causes behind the issue, highlights solutions local communities are pursuing, and centers the voices of residents who continue to choose Tahoe for both the lifestyle and the sense of place it offers.
The film traveled widely on the festival circuit, screening in towns and cities across the United States and even reaching a resort town in Australia, where audiences recognized their own housing struggles reflected on screen.
Just a month ago, Room and Board was made available for free on YouTube, expanding its reach and inviting a broader audience into the conversation.
After two years since its original launch, Cameron said the film has helped raise awareness about the housing crisis in ski towns and pointed to progress at the community level, where advocacy and development efforts are beginning to make a difference.
Still, Cameron cautioned that broader challenges remain. How housing is allocated, along with growing wealth inequality, continues to shape who can afford to live in places like Tahoe. The film highlights the choices individuals can make to protect the character of their communities — from deciding who to sell a home to, to advocating for long-term, sustainable housing solutions.
Despite the complexity of the issue, Cameron sees hope. She believes conversations around housing are growing stronger, with more local governments and organizations stepping in and momentum building.
“Right after finishing the film, I felt pretty discouraged. Housing in desirable places like Tahoe is influenced more than anything by wealth inequality,” Cameron said. “I’m not sure how to solve the problem of living in an economic system that has, and continues to create, ever-growing wealth inequality. It’s a complex issue, but there is genuine movement in the right direction.”
She hopes that by making the film widely available, more people will see it and join the conversation around the housing crisis in Lake Tahoe and Truckee.
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