Are you planning a trip to the stunning mountains of Aspen, Colorado? The Aspen Tourism Board is actively working to ensure your experience is top-notch. Recognizing that workforce housing shortages can impact visitor experience, the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) and the Snowmass Village government are implementing innovative solutions. SIXT.VN makes planning your dream Vietnam trip easier than ever. Discover tailored itineraries, convenient airport transfers, and hand-picked accommodations for an unforgettable travel experience. Explore Vietnam hassle-free with SIXT.VN’s expert tourism consultation, and enjoy seamless travel arrangements.
1. What is the Aspen Tourism Board Doing to Address Workforce Housing?
The Aspen tourism board is keenly aware that adequate workforce housing is crucial for a positive visitor experience and the overall competitiveness of the destination. Aspen is home to the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA), the oldest and largest mountain resort workforce housing program in the country. According to insights from Aspen & Snowmass, Aspen is innovating in employee housing efforts by prioritizing creating more affordable housing, including 79 new units at Burlingame Ranch Phase 3 and potentially 300-plus units at the City’s Lumberyard property. The APCHA’s inclusive, valley-wide approach is crucial in both understanding and addressing the impacts COVID-19 has created, as well as fostering long-term resilience. Snowmass Village is also working to increase inventory by adding an additional 185 units to its current inventory of about 475 units. These initiatives aim to support the local workforce, which is essential for providing quality services to tourists and maintaining the vibrancy of the community.
1.1. How Does Workforce Housing Affect Tourism?
Workforce housing directly impacts the tourism industry. If businesses like restaurants and hotels are understaffed due to housing shortages, the quality of service declines. This can lead to a negative visitor experience, which in turn affects the destination’s reputation and potential for return visits.
Carl Ribaudo, president of SMG Consulting, states, “The continued lack of affordable housing for residents and employees within the tourism industry limits the competitiveness of the destination. If you don’t have enough employees to provide services to visitors, how competitive can you be?”
1.2. What Factors Contribute to Low Workforce Housing Inventory in Aspen?
Several factors contribute to the low workforce housing inventory in Aspen and other mountain communities:
- Increased Residential Real Estate Prices: Prices are up across the country, especially in mountain communities. According to Zillow research in January 2021, residential real estate prices have surged significantly.
- Migration from Urban Areas: People are moving to mountain communities from urban areas, increasing demand for housing. CPR reported in September 2020 that Colorado ski towns are experiencing increased relocation due to the pandemic.
- Preference for Short-Term Rentals: Travelers prefer short-term rentals over hotel rooms, reducing the availability of long-term housing.
- Extended Stays by Second Homeowners: Second homeowners are occupying their units for longer periods, further limiting housing options.
- High Interest in Outdoor Activities: The pandemic has increased interest in outdoor activities, driving more people to mountain destinations.
1.3. What Are Aspen and Snowmass Doing Specifically?
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Aspen: The Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) is focused on providing affordable housing opportunities for the local workforce. The Aspen City Council has prioritized creating more affordable housing, including new units at Burlingame Ranch Phase 3 and the City’s Lumberyard property.
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Snowmass Village: The Town of Snowmass Village is working to add an additional 185 units to its current inventory of about 475 units. This is an ambitious goal and they hope to continue to work in partnership with other public/private sector entities to evolve their housing program
Betsy Crum, housing director for the Town of Snowmass Village, emphasizes that housing remains the central issue in securing Snowmass’s future, noting that “A world class mountain resort requires world class employees so an effective workforce housing program is as important as other critical infrastructure in our resort community.”
1.4. What are the Benefits of Workforce Housing Programs?
Workforce housing programs offer numerous benefits:
- Improved Visitor Experience: Adequate staffing in hotels, restaurants, and other tourism-related businesses leads to better service and a more enjoyable experience for visitors.
- Increased Destination Competitiveness: Destinations with sufficient workforce housing can attract and retain skilled employees, enhancing their ability to compete in the tourism market.
- Stable Tax Revenues: Ensuring businesses can fully operate helps maintain sales and lodging tax collections, supporting the local economy.
- Community Stability: Affordable housing fosters a stable community by allowing essential workers to live where they work.
1.5. Are There Any External Funding Opportunities?
Yes, federal funding could prompt housing projects. President Biden’s infrastructure proposal includes major funding for affordable housing across the U.S., which could have a positive impact in mountain towns via direct funding for workforce housing projects in rural areas. Dave Byrd, director of risk and regulatory affairs at National Ski Areas Association, observes that “Biden’s trillion-dollar infrastructure bill has some very encouraging proposals on workforce housing, and he is smartly targeting rural communities with grants for workforce housing. While the bill’s details remain to be defined, the proposal is encouraging, and the ski industry will be pushing innovative public-private agreements and funding to create sustainable and affordable housing in and near ski communities.”
2. What Impact Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Have on Aspen’s Workforce Housing?
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the stress on workforce housing, which was already a difficult problem with few easy solutions. The pandemic has been an accelerant – creating additional pressure on already challenging issues related to tourism economics in mountain destinations. Ultimately, an adequate supply of workforce housing is a community-wide issue that can have impacts on the visitor experience and the overall destination’s competitiveness.
2.1. How Has the Pandemic Affected Housing Usage?
Tom Foley, SVP of business analytics at Inntopia, notes that “Home and condo usage by owners in mountain destination towns is up across the board, meaning that in some cases inventory that might otherwise be used for short- or long-term workforce housing is not available. What’s not entirely clear yet is to what extent owner stays are [directly] impacting workforce housing.”
2.2. How Can Destinations Adapt to These Challenges?
To adapt to these challenges, destinations need to:
- Take a Community-Wide Approach: Addressing workforce housing requires collaboration between local governments, businesses, and community organizations.
- Utilize New Tools and Funding Sources: Explore innovative solutions and funding opportunities, including public-private partnerships and federal grants.
- Focus on Long-Term Resilience: Implement strategies that foster long-term stability and sustainability in the housing market.
3. What Role Do Ski Areas Play in Workforce Housing in Aspen?
Many large employers have focused on offering staff housing for their employees. In particular, ski areas across the country frequently provide subsidized, seasonal housing to their staff. According to the NSAA Kottke End of Season Report, 59% of all U.S. ski areas have employee housing. In the Rocky Mountain region, an even greater 76% of ski areas offer employee housing, with an average of 165 staff housed per ski area in the winter of 2019-20.
3.1. How Does Employee Housing Benefit Ski Areas?
These beds are essential because without housing, a large employer like a ski area can’t operate effectively, with potential impacts like reduced lift operations, longer lines at food and beverage outlets and an overall lower level of customer service.
3.2. How Can Smaller Businesses Contribute to the Solution?
Many other smaller businesses in ski towns face the same challenges; hotels and restaurants need places for their employees to live, too. But these smaller businesses can’t always afford to provide housing by themselves. A community-wide, collaborative and creative approach is often necessary, as seen recently in Big Sky. The resort area in Montana has allocated $1.9 million of its 3% resort tax to the Big Sky Community Housing Trust to build affordable housing.
4. How Does Breckenridge, Colorado, Address Affordable Housing?
In Colorado, the Town of Breckenridge continues to fund affordable housing efforts. Laurie Best, senior planner at the Town of Breckenridge, notes, “In addition to building new deed-restricted housing for locals, the Town is very committed to programs that preserve some of that inventory, through Buy Down Programs and deed restriction acquisition programs. Locally, most businesses, including critical infrastructure, are increasingly challenged to recruit and retain the employees they need.”
4.1. What Programs Does Breckenridge Use?
Breckenridge employs programs like Buy Down Programs and deed restriction acquisition programs to preserve affordable housing inventory. These efforts help local businesses recruit and retain employees, which is crucial for maintaining services for visitors.
5. How Can Federal Funding Help With Workforce Housing?
President Biden’s current infrastructure proposal includes major funding for affordable housing across the U.S., which could have a positive impact in mountain towns via direct funding for workforce housing projects in rural areas.
5.1. What are the Potential Benefits of Federal Funding?
Federal funding could enable innovative public-private agreements and create sustainable and affordable housing in and near ski communities. This would alleviate the workforce housing crisis and support the tourism industry.
6. What is the Role of Insights Collective in Tourism Economics?
Insights Collective is a Tourism Economy Think Tank and Resource Center – is a collaboration of destination travel industry experts who are collaborating and working, together with mountain resort communities and their stakeholders, to understand, plan, and navigate through the emerging tourism marketplace.
6.1. How Does Insights Collective Help Mountain Resort Communities?
Insights Collective helps mountain resort communities by providing expertise in understanding and navigating the tourism marketplace. They collaborate with stakeholders to plan and address challenges like workforce housing.
7. What New Tools are Needed to Solve the Workforce Housing Crisis?
Many large employers have focused on offering staff housing for their employees. In particular, ski areas across the country frequently provide subsidized, seasonal housing to their staff. According to the NSAA Kottke End of Season Report, 59% of all U.S. ski areas have employee housing. In the Rocky Mountain region, an even greater 76% of ski areas offer employee housing, with an average of 165 staff housed per ski area in the winter of 2019-20.
7.1. How Do These Tools Help?
These beds are essential because without housing, a large employer like a ski area can’t operate effectively, with potential impacts like reduced lift operations, longer lines at food and beverage outlets and an overall lower level of customer service.
8. How Can a Community-Wide Approach Solve the Housing Issue?
A community-wide, collaborative and creative approach is often necessary, as seen recently in Big Sky. The resort area in Montana has allocated $1.9 million of its 3% resort tax to the Big Sky Community Housing Trust to build affordable housing. Many other smaller businesses in ski towns face the same challenges; hotels and restaurants need places for their employees to live, too. But these smaller businesses can’t always afford to provide housing by themselves.
8.1. What are the Benefits of This Approach?
This approach can foster long-term stability and sustainability in the housing market. The affordable housing allows businesses to fully operate and maintain sales and lodging tax collections, supporting the local economy.
9. What are the Long-Term Effects of Neglecting Workforce Housing?
The continued lack of affordable housing for residents and employees within the tourism industry limits the competitiveness of the destination. If you don’t have enough employees to provide services to visitors, how competitive can you be? The entire community suffers – it impacts tax revenues significantly, businesses cannot fully operate, and impacts guest services across the board. Without affordable housing, all businesses will struggle to find workers.
9.1. What Happens to the Quality of the Visitor Experience?
If a restaurant is understaffed or a hotel can’t get its rooms cleaned in time, the visitor experience may be negatively impacted, jeopardizing potential return trips. The lack of workforce housing, therefore, has a direct effect on a destination’s attractiveness.
10. How Does the Aspen Tourism Board Prioritize Workforce Housing?
The Aspen tourism board, along with local government and community organizations, prioritizes workforce housing to ensure a positive visitor experience and maintain the destination’s competitiveness. Cindy Christensen, City of Aspen housing deputy director, said that providing affordable housing opportunities for the local workforce remains a focus for the City of Aspen, as it recognizes its necessity to support those contributing to our community and economy’s success. Aspen City Council has prioritized creating more affordable housing, including 79 new units at Burlingame Ranch Phase 3 and potentially 300-plus units at the City’s Lumberyard property.
10.1. What Does This Mean for Tourists?
This means tourists can expect better services, a more enjoyable experience, and a more vibrant community during their visit to Aspen. The Aspen tourism board recognizes that workforce housing is essential for sustaining the tourism industry.
Housing Graph for Swift article Belin number of transactions
Aspen real estate transactions increased in 2020 due to high demand, highlighting the need for more workforce housing.
FAQ: Aspen Tourism and Workforce Housing
Q1: Why is workforce housing important for Aspen tourism?
Workforce housing ensures that businesses can adequately staff their operations, providing a better experience for tourists and maintaining the competitiveness of the destination.
Q2: What is the Aspen/Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA)?
APCHA is the oldest and largest mountain resort workforce housing program in the country, dedicated to providing affordable housing opportunities for the local workforce.
Q3: What is Snowmass Village doing to address workforce housing?
Snowmass Village is working to add 185 units to its current housing inventory and partnering with public and private sector entities to evolve its housing program.
Q4: How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect workforce housing in Aspen?
The pandemic has accelerated the stress on workforce housing by increasing demand and limiting availability due to factors like remote work and extended stays by second homeowners.
Q5: What factors contribute to the low workforce housing inventory in Aspen?
Factors include increased residential real estate prices, migration from urban areas, preference for short-term rentals, extended stays by second homeowners, and high interest in outdoor activities.
Q6: How do ski areas contribute to workforce housing in Aspen?
Many ski areas provide subsidized, seasonal housing to their staff, which is essential for maintaining operations and customer service.
Q7: What is Insights Collective?
Insights Collective is a Tourism Economy Think Tank and Resource Center that collaborates with mountain resort communities to understand and navigate the tourism marketplace.
Q8: How can federal funding help with workforce housing in Aspen?
President Biden’s infrastructure proposal includes funding for affordable housing, which could support workforce housing projects in rural areas like Aspen.
Q9: What new tools are needed to solve the workforce housing crisis?
New tools include innovative public-private agreements, federal grants, and community-wide collaborative approaches.
Q10: How can tourists support workforce housing initiatives in Aspen?
Tourists can support workforce housing by patronizing businesses that support local housing initiatives, advocating for affordable housing policies, and being mindful of their impact on the community.
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