Nevada
New affordable housing community opens in Sun Valley
SUN VALLEY, Nev. (KOLO) – Ulysses Development Group and state and local leaders celebrated the grand opening Tuesday of The Ridge at Sun Valley, a 195-unit affordable housing community and the first project in Nevada to close financing using funds from the Home Means Nevada Initiative.
The community serves individuals and families earning 50-60% of area median income. Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine said rent for the units stays below 30 percent of a renter’s income.
“These are apartments that people can pay for and they can still have money left over for groceries and medicine and all the other things they need in their life,” Conine said.
Historic funding milestone
The project marks a milestone as Nevada’s first to use Home Means Nevada Initiative funding. During the pandemic, Nevada allocated $500 million from COVID funds to create the initiative, the most allocated by any state in the union for affordable housing, Conine said.
“That initiative put $500,000,000 into affordable housing,” Conine said.
Washoe County Board of County Commissioners District 3 member Mariluz Garcia said 49 percent of people in Reno are cost burdened by housing costs.
Community amenities and design
The units include washers and dryers, according to apartment manager Hailee Penberthy. Community amenities include a toddler playground, gazebo and grill, picnic tables, pet stations, a heated pool and a 24/7 gym, Penberthy said.
The development was designed with green elements including a solar energy system and Energy Star building standards.
Penberthy said the units are over 50 percent occupied.
Nevada Infrastructure Coordinator Chris Reilly, Nevada Housing Division Administrator Steve Aichroth and Ridge at Sun Valley resident Jaidyn Avalos also spoke at the event.
She says she enjoys the mountain views and the people she now calls her neighbors.
The Ridge at Sun Valley is located at 5100 W 1st Ave in Sun Valley.
Copyright 2025 KOLO. All rights reserved.
On December 1, 2025, during Nevada’s 36th Special Session, the Legislature enacted Senate Bill No. 7, sponsored by Senator Nicole Cannizzaro. The act amends NRS 617.455, which governs when diseases of the lungs are treated as occupational diseases resulting in compensation for temporary or permanent disability or death for certain firefighters, arson investigators, police officers and volunteer firefighters. The act becomes effective upon passage and approval.
A fourth grade student from Nevada helped light the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday evening.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
(Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Grady Armstrong, a fourth grader from Virginia City, Nevada, helped U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation light the Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday night.
The tree is a 53-foot-tall red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. It’s the first time in 61 years that a tree from Nevada is featured on the West Lawn of the Capitol.
The tree traveled roughly 3,000 miles to D.C., and is decorated with about 6,000 LED lights and more than 5,000 ornaments, many of them made by children from across Nevada.
Armstrong earned the honor of lighting the tree after winning an essay contest.
“You don’t have to go far to enjoy Nevada. Right from my school playground, you can look east for hundreds of miles over the mountain ranges that make up the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest,” he said.
“I want the country to know how special Nevada’s public land and national forests are. These lands are full of wonder, from big animals like elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and even moose,” Armstrong added.
The tree, nicknamed “Silver Belle” as a nod to Nevada being the “Silver State,” will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. every night through early January 2026.
WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report.
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Northern Nevada organizations are marking Giving Tuesday with community-focused fundraising campaigns aimed at expanding services, improving access and supporting local families.
The May Arboretum Society at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park launched a $10,000 Giving Tuesday goal to support two new enhancement projects within the arboretum. The organization says the improvements will elevate the visitor experience and reinforce its mission of conservation and community education. Donors can participate by visiting mayarboretumsociety.org and selecting the “Get Involved” tab.
Note-Able Music Therapy Services (NMTS) in Reno is also seeking to raise $10,000 today to expand access to its music therapy programs. The nonprofit says its services help children and adults build confidence, communication skills and emotional well-being. A $50 donation can fund a monthlong scholarship for a client, while $300 can provide six months of classes for a child working on social skill development or help support local caregivers who rely on the program. Contributions can be made at nmtsreno.org.
Other local organizations participating in Giving Tuesday include Safe Embrace, Veterans Guest House and Nevada Humane Society, each encouraging northern Nevadans to support programs that stay entirely within the community.
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Many Giving Tuesday campaigns run through midnight, offering residents a chance to make an immediate impact on local nonprofits serving the region.
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