There’s a single parent who has spent years working at a ski resort in Park City, yet she’s never owned skis. But she is finally getting her own pair this winter.
The mother was the first person to apply for this year’s workforce employer rental incentive program (WE RIP) and will receive the gear in exchange for renting a spare room to a seasonal worker. WE RIP, in its second year, is a partnership among Mountainlands Community Housing Trust, the Park City Chamber/Bureau and winter sports retailer Rossignol designed to increase housing availability for the area’s workforce.
“Landlords are already incentivized by rental income,” said Megan McKenna, a housing advocate at Mountainlands’ Housing Resource Center. “This program really aims to increase the rental pool by incentivizing those that perhaps hadn’t considered renting seasonally or long-term. WE RIP is not only a little extra incentive to rent to our local workforce, but also a tool to raise awareness of the growing crisis in our community.”
There was plenty of interest in the pilot program with Deer Valley Resort last year, which was modeled after a similar initiative in Aspen, Colorado, and provided ski passes to people who rented to the resort’s employees.
Deer Valley and Park City Mountain declined to participate this year, leading to the partnership with Rossignol. Homeowners who rent bedrooms or units to local workers will receive their choice of skis or a snowboard with the appropriate bindings, which is valued at more than $1,000.
Nick Castagnoli, the brand marketing director at Rossignol Group North America, said in a statement the business is deeply rooted in ski towns and recognizes the fundamental role seasonal workers have in keeping mountain communities thriving.
The incentive inspired a parent whose child just moved out to rent the spare room, but it also gives the individual the opportunity to participate in the sport after years of working in the industry, McKenna said.
It also gets harder for workers to find a place to stay in Park City every year with a limited housing supply and significant shortage of affordable units. Many employers have come to rely on communities in Salt Lake or Wasatch counties to house their staff, leading to increased traffic on the roadways.
“Job growth continues to outpace population growth and affordable housing development. Park City is the only city in Utah with more jobs than residents,” McKenna said. The population within the city limits is 8,500 people. Meanwhile there are 11,000 jobs. “That compounded with an increase of vacant or second homes and short-term rentals (which account for around 70% of the supply in Park City) has made it increasingly hard for those working in our community to live in our community. Less than 15% of Park City’s workforce lives in the city.”
Mountainlands affirms that solving the housing crisis will make headway on other community issues such as traffic, sustainability and climate. McKenna said the affordability crisis doesn’t affect everyone equally. However, the impacts are felt across the county and a community-wide effort is needed to address them.
Applications for WE RIP opened on Oct. 1. Available rentals will be listed online and will remain posted until a lease has been signed. Only one unit had been posted as of Tuesday afternoon. It’s a listing for a furnished room with a private bath in a family home for $1,000 a month.
The inventory will be shared with all Chamber/Bureau members. Landlords must be approved for the program to receive the incentive. All Rossignol orders must be placed by Oct. 31 due to limited seasonal supply.
McKenna said there’s been broad support for the program since it launched last winter. Some people were disappointed the incentive didn’t apply to those who already rent or that the season pass wouldn’t be offered this year. However, the feedback has been overall positive as the community seems to recognize the benefits of helping to secure housing for workers.
The Chamber/Bureau is planning to continue the rental incentive program each year with opportunities to expand it based on economic demands. City Hall last winter launched the Seasonal Workforce Taskforce with several stakeholders to help tackle the issues.
Mountainlands also established the Housing Resource Center last year to help with education, advocacy and navigation. The organization is also looking to build a housing coalition and plans to work with leaders across the Wasatch Back.
“Unemployment in Utah is low and housing costs are high. Of course, these numbers are even more exaggerated in Park City and Summit County,” McKenna said. “As wages across the state become more competitive, low-paying jobs with long commutes are getting harder to fill. It’s time to start looking at housing solutions as traffic, labor, equity, climate, and community solutions as well.”
Visit housinghelp.org for more information about WE RIP and affordable housing in Summit County.