VAN LIFERS LEFT IN DARK
Published in the Jan. 31, 2026 issue.
The corners of the Eastside that rarely venture into the world of affordable housing are beginning to do so. Just very slowly.
Progress has largely stalled, though not been abandoned, on the “safe parking area” concept, a joint effort between the County, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (MMSA), and the Town of Mammoth Lakes. The proposed project would create a designated place for local van-lifers to park and live, complete with showers and bathrooms.
But as it turns out, more partners isn’t always better. All three agencies are now pointing fingers at one another to make the next move. The County is ostensibly responsible for the first phase (securing entitlements and navigating CEQA) while the Town would handle infrastructure, and MMSA would likely operate the site.
At the moment, however, the County appears to be dragging its feet, while the Town is eager to expedite the process.
“It isn’t as easy to just deploy a safe parking site as maybe some people might think,” said County Administrative Officer Sandra Moberly during last Tuesday’s Mono County Supervisors meeting. “There are a lot of things that you need to think about — enforcement, who’s checking people in and out, who’s managing the sites.”
Even so, the County hasn’t given up on the idea.
“This is how people are living now, and we need to figure out a way to accommodate it while ensuring they are safe and not contributing to a waste and fire problem,” County Supervisor Paul McFarland told The Sheet. McFarland, who has spent significant time living out of a vehicle in the Eastern Sierra to be able to work, added, “I don’t think it’s something we can judge as a positive or a negative—it’s just a reality.”
Meanwhile, Mono County is exploring a middle-income down payment assistance program aimed at households that fall between traditional low-income programs and the open market (80–120% of AMI). The concept is still being researched and remains in its early stages.
By contrast, the County’s Bridge program has made tangible progress. The program, which allows the local government to buy and sell properties to place them under deed restrictions, was launched in August 2024 and resulted in its first purchase at 85 Kirkwood in April 2025.
Now, the County is preparing to sell that home. Engineers are finalizing foundation and electrical plans, after which the property will be listed.
Elsewhere in the County’s program, two units at the Bridgeport Apartments are currently available for rent, and the County is in the process of recruiting a property manager.
In Bishop, Eastern Sierra Community Housing (ESCH) Executive Director Patricia Robertson gave an update on the Valley View Apartments Monday night at Bishop City Council.
The 19-unit apartment complex currently houses people who make 30% of the area median income (AMI), mainly seniors and people on disability who make less than $1,000/month. The rent payments are under $400 and include utilities.
It was developed in the 1980s by the Inyo-Mono Advocates for Community Action (IMACA), a local nonprofit that provides social services across the Eastern Sierra.
Long story short, the development went awry when IMACA executives misunderstood a state loan and wound up in debt.
In attempt to keep the apartments affordable, ESCH sought to resign the loan under new terms and now is currently in escrow to acquire the 19-unit property from IMACA, with plans to rehabilitate it.
In 2024, ESCH secured a $4.8 million grant toward what it anticipates will be a $9.4 million project; roughly half a million dollars per unit.
“It’s more than maybe we thought it would be,” Robertson said.
She noted that the project would require temporarily relocating existing residents and securing a construction loan, and estimated that an additional $3 million in fundraising would be needed to make the project feasible.
