Forest Service aligns with locals in bid to solve housing crisis

By Scott Streater | 10/23/2024 01:43 PM EDT

Through a deal leasing federal land to Summit County, Colorado, construction will begin next year on affordable housing at the White River National Forest.

A site dotted with old buildings and trailers with mountains in the background.

The site of the Dillon Work Center at the White River National Forest in Colorado, where workforce housing will be built for Forest Service employees and others. Courtesy of the Forest Service

There might not be a better example where using federal lands can help solve the workforce housing crisis in Western mountain resort areas than in a Colorado ski community known for its breathtaking views and exorbitant prices.

The Forest Service manages 85 percent of the land in Summit County, which is dominated by the 2.3-million-acre White River National Forest that stretches across five ranger districts and eight mountain peaks topping 14,000 feet. The forest’s 11 ski resorts have helped to make it the nation’s most heavily visited national forest.

But all these amenities come with a hefty price tag. What land isn’t already owned by the Forest Service has long ago been bought up and turned into vacation or second homes.

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“Less than 30 percent of the population that works in Summit County can actually live in Summit County,” said Tamara Pogue, a county commissioner.

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