Keys to a New Chapter: Empire Commons Welcomes Its First Tenants
Seven people who not long ago had nowhere to call home are now settling into cabins of their own at Empire Commons — Hospitality House’s newest housing community on South Auburn Street in Grass Valley. The historic 1930s miners’ cottages, acquired and renovated this year, are one more concrete answer to Nevada County’s affordable housing crisis, and they came together because this community showed up.
Getting the property ready took real work. Hospitality House board member Larry Messer and his team at Trinity Builders led the renovation, cheerfully replacing windows and managing all the subcontractors. Leslie Oppegard donated many hours to deep-clean every unit. DiLoreto Flooring and Dibble Flooring donated new flooring in many units. Bob Corrigan poured a new concrete pad for the storage shed. Caseywood generously donated siding, trim, and rebar. New paint and pressure washing by Bill Southworth freshened up all the homes. What had been a worn collection of vacation rentals became a real neighborhood.
Then came the task of making each cabin a home. Since the new tenants are arriving from homelessness — most after many steps alongside a Hospitality House case manager — they come with little in the way of furnishings. But they come with something more important: a lease, a rent they can afford, and a place they can stay as long as they choose. Empire Commons is permanent housing. So Nevada County jumped in to make sure it felt like it.
The owners of Wildwood Self Storage outfitted a perfect 325-square-foot one-bedroom for a young man recovering from illness and taking the next step toward self-sufficiency. The Soroptimists of Sierra Foothills partnered with The Nest to fund a brand-new bed, dresser, and side table — plus everything else needed, including flowers — to welcome a woman who had been living in her car. The CEO and board of the Community Foundation of Nevada County rolled up their sleeves and personally installed a wall TV and fully furnished a unit for a mom and her daughter. River Valley Community Bank purchased a new refrigerator and furnished a studio for a gentleman getting back on his feet. And Dana Tipton and Sandi Rowe thrifted, shopped, loaded a U-Haul, and showed up night after night to get two units just right — one for a man working two jobs, another for two elderly women sharing rent to make it work.
This is what Hospitality House is built to do: create a clear path from emergency shelter to a home, and make sure the community is there to walk it alongside people who need it most. To be notified of future renovation and furnishing opportunities, email info@hhshelter.org or call 530-615-0852.