Snowboarders and skiers walk by construction of a 5-story apartment/condominium complex being built by PCL Construction for Vail Resorts. A shortage of affordable housing near ski resorts has created a problem for workers and the industry. | Denver Post via Getty Images

From Vail to Vermont, providing affordable and accessible homes for workers is an uphill climb As the ski season hits its stride, the Tahoe Inn, located close to Lake Tahoe near the California and Nevada border, will inevitably hit capacity. With room for 53 guests, the motel will welcome visitors from around the globe over the next few months for fresh powder. But it?s not the typical spot for a winter sports enthusiast.
That?s because, as Powder Magazine reports, the motel houses temporary workers, not ski-focused tourists. Converted from lodging into workforce housing by nearby Homewood Mountain Resort a few years ago, the Tahoe Inn is now used by migrant workers on visas who provide the labor that keeps the resort afloat. In rooms rented by ski instructors and maintenance workers, a bunk bed in a shared room runs $300 a month. In ski towns across the United States, a building owned by one?s employer is often one of the few housing options a worker can afford. A combination of real estate realities and trends?rising home prices in mountain towns, limited developable land, and the growth of short-term rental activity?means the labor force is finding it harder and harder to afford to work in a win...