A NYT article reports on life for many ski-industry employees in Frisco, CO.
Homeless/Unhoused Workers in Ski Towns
- Thread starter jamesdeluxe
- Start date
Can anyone clarify the subsidy part of the equation?
"Mr. Aerenson, a retired lawyer and a ski instructor at Breckenridge, estimates that it costs the town $150,000 in subsidies to build a single unit of affordable housing, a process that takes years even when the funds are available."
This appears to be the case across the entire western world unfortunately.
EMSC
Well-known member
I don't know Frisco specifically (haven't read the article yet), but generally two ways that 'affordable housing' gets built in CO in general. Either a local tax added on the normal RE tax locally (has to be voted on in CO; local Gov't can't just add it), or local laws that require either % of new build condo's/Apts be sold/rented as 'affordable', or a payment to the town (eg tax) in lieu of doing so. So many towns end up as the builder/owner of new 'affordable' condos and Apts for low wage residents (deed or rent restricted to go to people at or below certain % of median local income).
I use quotes around the word 'Affordable' above because the units are anything but affordable to build. They might be cheaper than luxury housing, but also far from the definition of 'affordable'. Sounds like dense unit condos (I'm assuming without reading article), implies $150K+ in subsidies per unit to build in Frisco (eg loss per unit when they actually sell to locals).
ChrisC
Well-known member
It's a slightly depressing story.
Telluride's SMCHA (San Miguel Country Housing Authority) is semi-successful in providing decent options for long-term residents, but seasonal employees are generally hurt.
smrha.org
Some friends have homes or condos (deed-restricted housing) within the town limits of Telluride: there are many small homes on the East side of town in this program, and a large set of condos at the base of Chair 7/Coonskin. One friend even has a home overlooking Tom Cruise's compound, the airport, Mt. Wilson, and plateaus.
I recently co-invested in a warehouse/short-term housing project between Telluride Town and Mountain Village. We have a 3 year lease for workers building the Four Seasons Telluride. My brother needs it too for his business. And there is not enough warehouse space in Telluride for anyone.
I am waiting for the future "White Lotus: Season 5 or 6" to be filmed there, titled 'San Juans' or 'Telluride'. However, Mike White supposedly hates cold and snow, so that possibility might be remote.
But almost every West Coast city lacks enough land to build affordable housing.
Telluride's SMCHA (San Miguel Country Housing Authority) is semi-successful in providing decent options for long-term residents, but seasonal employees are generally hurt.
San Miguel Regional Housing Authority, Telluride, San Miguel County
Telluride Housing Program Read More San Miguel Regional Housing Authority San Miguel County Deed Restricted Housing Programs Telluride San Miguel County Town of Mountain Village See Mountain Village Housing Authority link above or email housing@mtnvillage.org for questions about deed restricted...
smrha.org
Some friends have homes or condos (deed-restricted housing) within the town limits of Telluride: there are many small homes on the East side of town in this program, and a large set of condos at the base of Chair 7/Coonskin. One friend even has a home overlooking Tom Cruise's compound, the airport, Mt. Wilson, and plateaus.
I recently co-invested in a warehouse/short-term housing project between Telluride Town and Mountain Village. We have a 3 year lease for workers building the Four Seasons Telluride. My brother needs it too for his business. And there is not enough warehouse space in Telluride for anyone.
I am waiting for the future "White Lotus: Season 5 or 6" to be filmed there, titled 'San Juans' or 'Telluride'. However, Mike White supposedly hates cold and snow, so that possibility might be remote.
But almost every West Coast city lacks enough land to build affordable housing.
I heard a rumor that originally Season 3 was going to be in a ski resort. FYI Mike White as a former graduate was the commencement speaker for my son Adam's Polytechnic School graduation in 2003.
A 30-second search turned up this article.
Makes skiing in upstate NY look almost sustainable by comparison.
While certainly apples and oranges compared to Colorado, it's fascinating that NYS's biggest ski town is tiny, idyllic Lake Placid.
Is LP the biggest? Population 3000 I think. Syracuse is as close to Song as Lake Placid is to Whiteface. (Mt Pisgah is closer to LP.)
I'm thinking more about family run places. At Titus, the Monettes have a business model that includes several businesses that run year round and they provide full time employment (365) to a significant amount of their workforce. And reasonable costs for real estate nearby.
I'm thinking more about family run places. At Titus, the Monettes have a business model that includes several businesses that run year round and they provide full time employment (365) to a significant amount of their workforce. And reasonable costs for real estate nearby.
I was comparing Lake Placid to Frisco (mountain tourism towns), not a city that happens to have a few lift-served hills 25 minutes away.