GONDOLA GOSSIP

by:  staff writer

Maybe the problem isn't really the problem… maybe it's the convergence of individual perspectives of the problem. Let's take a breath and a step back to just take in the big picture. As the popularity of skiing grew in the 80s... and then add the popularity of snowboarding the numbers of visitors to small mountain communities have grown and grown. Some growth was intentional other growth perhaps unexpected, and yet both have contributed benefits and consequences for the local communities. Time moves on and so do the economics and challenges facing resort communities.

The original investors were not corporations...they were just people who wanted to be part of a mountain community and lifestyle. Perhaps they planned to retire there. Resort town realtors began by helping bring investment to the community and help a fledgling winter sport… but today most "local" realtors only focus on multi-million dollar second home listings. Meanwhile, as with any success came a greater corporate presence in the recreation, lodging and retail sectors. Suddenly, local small businesses providing year-round economic stability for the community and workforce was shrinking as corporate resort revenues centers expanded. Next shareholder owned resort conglomerates ultimately pitted the local community against the same individual greed they once benefited from.

When you came to mountain resorts you were coming to their community... not just a corporate resort. It was no secret visitors need places to sleep, eat, shop, etc. But, there were no seasonal workers or employee housing back then either. Teachers, nurses and other locals picked up a second job welcoming winter visitors to the resort and community. It was locals providing the experience that connected with visitors and that later became the foundation of a marketable corporate brand. Taking this for granted is how the  problems began without anyone even knowing what was going to happen.

For those who do not recall the origin story of most popular ski resorts it usually begins with a town and a mountain sharing the name long before a greedy corporate resort company was named after them. These companies profited from what local communities were building. At first it seemed harmless until a mutually beneficial partnership became more and more one-sided as consolidation spread through the mountain sports and resort industries. Bean counters and corporate gluttony cannibalized the communities and soured local workforce to build their brands and maximize profits. The solution most resort corporations opted for was to bring in temporary or seasonal workers. These seasonal workers were now competing for housing with year-round locals... and thus the need for emloyee housing began.

That brings us back to perspective. The concept of affordable housing and its impacts on resort communities needs to be scrutinized. This is especially true with concepts that use tax dollars to help turn resort and hospitality companies into landlords and their employees into endentured tenants. Although well intentioned at first the concept has de-evolved into NIMBY dorm style housing projects in small resort communities. Housing a large seasonal workforce to service their guests adds little to no supply to local housing solutions. In fact some argue solutions that once worked for both the resort companies and local communities now only work for the corporate resorts who exploit federal lands and local communities as revenue centers.

Perhaps the solution is looking at affordability from a different perspective. One solution is getting back to the basics that made both the resort and community a popular destination for visitors in the first place. It wasn’t importing seasonal workers or corporate revenue centers… it was about the mountains and the local hospitality experiences that built relationships that became repeat guests and season pass holders. A more balanced approach would require compromises between corporate greed and quality experiences that work for everyone.

Affordability is another matter of perspective. If affordability means the ability to pay increasingly higher rents in the community where you live and work then there is no problem. Many local employers have raised their wages and most locals already have a second job or two to pay their rent… so why don't they have places to live? The answer is inventory. When local landlords used to be satisfied renting to year-round locals and raising rents as time passed these landlords sold to the highest bidders who turn them into short term rentals that increases the occupancy of the community while reducing the personnel there to service them. Today the consequences are clear.

Perhaps we need to look at affordability from the community perspective of operating schools hospitals, etc. in a world-class resort community? Do we need to mention some requirements are not optional because visitors don't want to pay for them? Everyone who lives here pays taxes… yes, and landlords just add these high taxes and HOA dues to the rent they charge locals… that is why rent is so expensive. This clearly eliminates the "I pay property taxes renters don't" argument. Now let's be fair. There would not be people exploiting what used to be housing for local teachers, firemen and professionals as vacation rentals if there was not guests looking to save a few bucks. Again, perhaps the question is affordability… if locals can not find places to rent perhaps not all guests can afford to vacation in their resort community?