A new program is seeking residents who would open their homes to winter workers, many of whom hail from South America and Australia - college students recruited by Park City-area ski resorts for an "adventure" during what is their summer off.
Key to operating a world-class ski destination, of course, is attracting seasonal employees. But each winter is more challenging than the last for workers to pay rents in the rarified atmosphere of Park City real estate.
It's a tough nut that Tim Dahlin of the Christian Center of Park City has been trying to crack for a half-dozen years.
"There just aren't many places available," he said.
Park City, Deer Valley and The Canyons resort may be home away from home for millionaires and movie stars, but the lack of affordable housing is a nagging fact of life across west Summit County.
Much of the seasonal housing stock has been converted to more lucrative nightly rentals for tourists or sold to year-round residents as real-estate prices soared.
The three ski resorts require a combined 1,200 to 1,400 seasonal workers each winter. But Dahlin noted that when seasonal restaurant and lodge employees are tallied, twice that number need to find housing for the ski season.
"We're desperate, and we're asking the community to step up," he said.
Residents could ask $300 to $500 a month to let a bedroom to a worker.
"It could be a reciprocal relationship of international good will," Dahlin noted.
Among the ad hoc community group pushing the resident housing initiative is Park City Councilwoman Liza Simpson. She explained that west Summit County economy depends on seasonal workers.
"It's important for people to recognize that this is a community issue," she said.
In the past, arriving workers take part in the the annual "Roommate Roundup" that seeks to match landlords with seasonal renters. But this year, Simpson said the group wants to bolster choices for renters.
"We're trying to get this rolling now. There is such an acute shortage of housing."
Park City Mountain Resort makes clear to its seasonal employees that they are responsible for finding their own housing, said spokeswoman Paula Altschuler.
But the resort offers transportation for its workers who can't find housing close by.
"It's a challenge we face together," she said.
Find information on seasonal housing in the Park City area at www.parkplaces.org.
