A new developer breaks ground on 682 workforce housing units in Northern Nevada.

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - Multifamily developer Hillpointe is building 682 units of workforce housing in South Reno and Carson City, with a groundbreaking on Tuesday, November 10^th marking the company’s first project in Nevada.

Hillpointe plans to build 358 units in Reno and 324 units in Carson City over the next 15 months. The company develops and manages what it calls “attainable housing” across multiple states.

Pamela Thompson with Hillpointe said the company’s goal is to create A-Class housing and quality neighborhood experiences for the working class.

The average cost to rent a home in Nevada is can range from $1,300 to $1,900 dollars depending on the area and square footage, according to Zillow. Thompson said Hillpointe’s vertical integration will allow the company to charge a couple hundred dollars less than the market’s median.

“One way that Hillpointe is different is that we’re 100% vertically integrated, which means that we manage the whole process, we purchase the property, we build and develop it, and then it’s our employees that operate and manage that property well into the future. So we’re able to get savings across that entire process, which allow us to bring down those market rates and provide high-quality Class A housing for 80-100 AMI workforce, which typically translates into a couple hundred dollars less a month,” Thompson said.

All the units will be rentals, Thompson said, and will be a combination of townhomes and apartments.

“We like to consider ourselves the first step in home ownership, so that employees have a high-quality place to call home, that’s close to work, while they save up for that next time,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the housing is meant for essential workforce employees like “our nurses, our teachers, our first responders, all of the foundational employees that make our community a success” to “have somewhere great to call home.”

Critics say rental properties will not help middle-class workers who are looking to buy homes. They note the project will not add to the number of homes available for purchase.

Reno City Council member Brandi Anderson said the development will bring 358 opportunities for families in South Reno at a workforce price point.

“They have an ability to live in an environment where it is a high-quality house, not necessarily that they have to have a mortgage for, but it feels like a home that has that environment that is a living space just like a house would be,” Anderson said.

Sierra Nevada Realtors said the project will give buyers more options, potentially easing the supply and demand issue in the area.

Northern Nevada has experienced high demand for housing over the past several years. Housing officials say adding more affordable developments could help by increasing the number of places available to live.

Nevada housing officials say the housing crisis in Northern Nevada continues, and it could take a couple of years to fill the gap.

Specifics on reduced rent prices and eligibility requirements have not been announced. Thompson says the development is projected to start welcoming residents in early 2028.