How long does someone have to be in Nevada to be a “local?”

A lot of locals argue that being born here is the only thing that matters. That’s an increasingly narrow scope, because Nevada by far has the fewest born-in-state residents at just 27%.

In contrast, California-born Nevada residents make up 46% of the population. The odds are pretty good that if you hear someone complaining about new arrivals, they only showed up here from Palo Alto in 2021. (“I moved here five years ago for the wide-open vistas over my back fence,” they say. “Now there’s a whole new housing development behind me, ruining the entire vibe! What gives?”)

Yes, we all see the guy in the ski googles and dust-covered fur coat, just ignore him

I’d argue that people are local when they start ignoring weird Reno stuff.

Last week, I asked readers what their “Reno-est” experiences were, and Laura Briscoe talked about flying out of Reno-Tahoe right after Burning Man.

“The airport was full of scruffy, unwashed-looking characters dressed in black with lots of metallic adornments, women in torn fishnet stockings and heavy black boots, and they were all coated in white dust,” Briscoe wrote. “The only people looking askance at them were obviously not from Reno.”

Northern Nevada communities are expected to see expanded housing opportunities following Governor Joe Lombardo’s announcement of more than $64 million in statewide funding for attainable housing, with several projects and assistance programs focused on Reno, Fernley, Washoe County, Lyon County, and rural Nevada.

Part of the funding includes $750,000 approved for the Rural Nevada Development Corporation, which will provide homebuyer assistance across multiple Northern Nevada and rural counties. Eligible areas include Elko, Lander, White Pine, Humboldt, Pershing, Douglas, Mineral, Lyon, Storey, and Carson City, among others. The program is designed to help first-time and moderate-income buyers with down payments and closing costs, expanding access to homeownership in communities where housing options are limited.

Several housing developments were also approved to add both rental units and for-sale homes in Northern Nevada. In Reno, nearly $1.48 million was approved for the Hi-Way 40 project, which will bring 28 new rental homes to Washoe County. Another Reno-based project, Alpine Vista by Desert Wind Homes, received $4 million to support the development of 145 for-sale homes aimed at working families seeking attainable homeownership.

Additional funding will support new housing in surrounding communities. Formation Homes received $2.5 million to develop 54 for-sale homes across Sun Valley, Golden Valley, and Fernley in Washoe and Lyon counties. In Fernley, the Wilson Landing project was approved for $5 million to build 37 for-sale homes, expanding housing options in Lyon County as the region continues to grow.

State leaders say the investments are intended to help Northern Nevada communities keep pace with population growth while providing attainable housing options for local workers. Governor Lombardo has emphasized that increasing housing supply and expanding homeownership opportunities remain key priorities as Nevada works to ensure families have access to safe and affordable places to live.