Whistler kicks off winter season as locals feel housing crisis
Hotel workers are living in tents and vehicles, says union representative
As ski season arrives with the official opening of the Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, workers in the resort municipality are expressing concern over the lack of affordable housing.
Whistler, home to nearly 14,000 people, is known for its slopes, backcountry and wildlife, and sees more than three million visitors per year.
Michael Windeyer, vice-president of Unifor Local 300 — which represents 309 workers across seven hotels in Whistler — says many of the union's members can't find an affordable place to live.
"Some of them end up living in tents, living in their vehicles ... for those that are fortunate enough to find a place to live, generally [they] have to share with four or five other people," Windeyer told CBC News.
Windeyer says the housing crunch is also affecting businesses, and it's common for some employers to rent houses for staff.
Martini Bart, co-owner of the Alpine Cafe, said finding housing has "always been a struggle."
"I used to live in a van for the first summer, then got lucky and moved into a house with a bunch of people," said Bart, who moved to Whistler 30 years ago.
Bart says his employees have struggled to find housing. The cafe has upstairs accommodation for around five people, he says, and others live in camper vans as a last resort. For people living in camper vans, Bart says they are forced to move frequently because they can't find permanent parking.
Bart says he believes the mayor and council are doing everything they can to help residents, but more housing is needed.
Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton says investing in housing is a priority for the municipality, whose goal — with help from the Whistler Housing Authority — is to house 75 per cent of workers in town.
About 84 per cent of workers in Whistler are residents, Crompton says.
The resort municipality has more than 7,300 spots in affordable rental and ownership housing dedicated to people working in the village.
"We just cannot afford to rest on that," Crompton said.
"We need to continue to invest in housing and we are — there's 400 bed units of housing under construction right now."
Crompton said he applauds the province for the recent legislation to limit short-term rentals, and hopes more housing will be made available because of it.
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