Let’s talk staff housing again!
Sorry, but so many people are looking at or talking about it, I feel it’s an important discussion for everyone living and working in Whistler if we want Whistler to survive and keep its name on top as a world-class ski resort.
These kids are coming for a season, but oops, we forgot to tell them there’s no staff housing, or maybe you could couch-surf for a few weeks till you overstay your welcome. I had a couple of employees telling me about their housing situation: one rented an old sauna and another stayed in a garden shed (of course, it was insulated). What the hell? No wonder so many young kids are struggling with mental health issues.
Most businesses in Whistler are feeling the stress of another winter season with very little staff, or business owners stepping up to work 12- to 16-hour days with no day off. Some are doing a shorter work week and others are leaving town, never to return.
We would love to buy housing for our staff, but $3-million-plus is a little out of our reach, and again, half the homes in Whistler are empty or used two months of the year. I know the municipality is trying. Why can’t they build a large hostel, or maybe invest in staff housing similar to the mountain, or modular homes to try to keep the rent reasonable.
I know this subject has been around for years, but it’s just gotten worse with increased demand for homes in the mountains.
Bring back the soul of Whistler, or it could be RIP to my lovely resort town. I love my wee town.
