Aspen Snowmass Has Cool Idea to Help Housing Crunch for Workers

It’s called Tenants for Turns and it’s a simple idea. If homeowners or landlords in the Roaring Fork Valley area of western Colorado, which encompasses Aspen and Carbondale, two areas in which affordable housing is incredibly difficult to come by, rent their housing to employees of the company that owns Aspen Snowmass, they get one free season pass. Or, they can choose a $1,200 voucher for use on meals, etc at the Aspen Snowmass properties.

The program is targeted more toward homeowners with extra rooms they normally keep vacant, one would think, as the employee housing crunch the ski resorts feel is more pronounced in the winter rather than the summer, so this is more of a seasonal solution, rather than a long-term one.

“Skiers and business owners the whole length of the valley—and, of course, guests to our resort community—all benefit when our ski areas are operating with optimal staffing. We’re hoping this program will entice people with a bedroom that has gone unrented in the past to rent it for a few months to an employee.”

The housing crunch in mountain towns, beach towns, college towns—or pretty much most desirable towns it seems these days—is a huge problem not only for people who are struggling to find affordable housing, but also for business owners who need staff. Will Tenants for Turns solve a deeply entrenched supply and demand issue for housing? No. Is it a great idea that can help people who want to work the resorts for the winter but can’t otherwise locate a place to live? Yep. And that’s a wonderful thing.

More info, right here.

Photo: Aspen Snowmass