Dozens of motor lodges left over from Reno’s early days as a casino boomtown have found new life as the housing of last resort for the city’s down-and-out.
The number of those struggling to keep a roof over their head has soared as a red hot housing and rental market have priced out more and more people.
California is partly to blame.
Silicon Valley firms from Apple to Tesla have set up operations in the Reno area, bringing waves of well-paid workers. At the same time, California’s soaring home prices and rents have sent thousands of people across the state line looking for more affordable housing.
Along with that human stampede have come rising home prices and rents — as well as rising anxiety for those living on the margins.
Part of a series on the impact of California’s struggles on the November election.
