Outside of Whistler, there is often a perception of locals in the resort as well-off, well-to-do—rich, if you like.
And while, yes, there is an exorbitant amount of wealth in this town, like the rest of the world, it is not distributed equally, and far from it. The reality is, many people—seasonal workers, young families, seniors, the works—make great sacrifices to call Whistler home.
Not only are most of us not “rich,” we’re actually a lot closer to “vulnerable” than we may think.
A new report at Whistler’s municipal hall sheds some light on the current situation on the ground.
The vulnerable populations housing needs assessment report received March 19 is intended to inform the municipality on the existing supply of, and community need for, emergency, transitional, supportive, and non-market rental housing, while also serving as an input to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) long-term housing strategy.
Think nobody is struggling in Whistler? The report tells a much different story.
Following focus group sessions with nearly two dozen social-service providers and public sector participants, RMOW staff compiled a list of demographic groups noted as experiencing barriers to finding housing.
It includes (deep breath): seniors; people experiencing a change of employment, family structure, or financial situation; people who lack a social network; individuals with physical or intellectual disabilities; families; women and/or children fleeing violence; survivors of human trafficking; those who don’t meet Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) eligibility requirements; young adults aged 19 to 35; workers whose housing is tied to their jobs; members of the LGTBQIA2S+ community; single, racialized men; people in overcrowded housing conditions; the injured and sick; and people struggling with addiction or mental-health issues.
Raise your hand if you are included in one (or several) of those categories. It would be far easier to compile a list of people who aren’t struggling with housing in Whistler.
But it’s one thing to see a list of faceless demographics; quite another to hear the actual stories behind the categories.
That’s where the report is perhaps most effective. In compiling it, RMOW staff interviewed people in the community about their housing situations, sharing the (anonymized) details in a presentation to council. The stories paint a dire picture of the reality on the ground for many.
Like Brian, who has lived in Whistler for 30 years. Brian owned a home with his wife, but moved into a rental with his sons after going through a divorce. As is the case for many Whistler residents, Brian was soon renovicted, and when he couldn’t find anywhere else to live, resorted to living in his van.
“Because he could not find stable housing, he lost custody of his children. He felt discriminated against when applying for market rentals in Whistler for living in his vehicle,” said planner Courtney Beaubien in a presentation to council.
Brian investigated moving to Pemberton or Squamish, but with his children and support network in Whistler, it would have been more challenging to leave.
He lived in his van during the cold winter season for six months before he was offered a rental with the WHA.
Then there is Omar, who moved to Whistler from northern Africa in 2019. Omar works for a local non-profit, and is currently subletting a shared room for $900 a month which he will soon have to vacate.
For five years, Omar has moved from shared bedroom to shared bedroom, first in staff housing, then in market rentals. He was removed from the WHA waitlist when he enrolled in an employment and career training program, and was only able to work a set amount of hours each week, disqualifying him from WHA housing.
Omar also has a wife in Africa applying to come to Canada, and he is concerned about what he will do when she arrives. He doesn’t want to leave, but there are no other housing options for him in Whistler.
Lastly, there is Anita, who moved to Whistler 15 years ago, got married, had two kids, and owned a home, before being forced to flee due to domestic abuse.
When she fled, she moved in with a coworker, who could not accommodate her kids. Local non-profit service providers were able to book emergency accommodation at a local hotel so she could at least spend one or two nights with her children every few weeks, but despite her best efforts, Anita could not secure market rental housing.
She was offered a placement in a transition house in Squamish, but without a vehicle would not be able to return to Whistler each day. Similarly, she was offered a non-profit housing option in Pemberton, but could not commit to commuting by two buses each day if she had to take her kids to daycare while still working full time.
Fortunately, Anita was able to secure a WHA rental unit after just nine months on the waiting list.
“She knows this was very fast, but for someone in an emergency, this was a long time,” Beaubien said. “Over those nine months, Anita moved eight times, staying with friends and coworkers.”
Put yourself in the shoes of those people above. Consider the logistics of every-day life when you don’t have secure, stable, long-term housing. This is just a small glimpse into the struggles real people are facing in this town, every single day.
The vulnerable populations housing needs assessment report won’t result in immediate action, but it’s a valuable informational tool nonetheless.
It shows us, again, how complex the housing situation is in Whistler; how there are no easy answers to fall back on.
And that when it comes to housing in Whistler, most of us are “vulnerable.”
