Greetings ski-bums and snow-bunnies! Today’s post on Ski Country Mag throws light on a hilarious report from AspenTimes.com, displaying the baffling reality of ski-resort livability, deed restrictions and social class divisions. In a satirical twist of fate, Aspen, the mogul-rich playground of winter enthusiasts, proudly showcases its deed-restricted homes – an imitation of affordable living that is, let’s be honest, just plain sidesplitting.
According to the 2023 Workforce Housing Report (link) from the Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG) and the Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST) released on 3rd November, 70% of Aspen’s full-time home occupancy is under deed-restriction. This searing slapstick comedy of housing efficiency takes the cake as the second-highest rate among 38 coloradoan rural and resort communities. It’s almost as if Aspen’s governing body was visited by the Ghost of Affordable Housing Crisis Past.
Our script’s co-protagonist, Aspen City Manager Sara Ott, boldly claims the report as evidence of mountain towns pushing the proverbial needle. Using the report, she manages to sidestep populating Aspen with ‘the little people’ and instead, scratches her head about Durango, Vail or Ketchum’s housing predicament, possibly hoping for a eureka moment.
The punchline to our comedy is threefold. Firstly, 70% of Aspen’s full-time housing units are deed-restricted. Secondly, 2,303 out of a total 5,872 housing units represent more than one-third of the city’s units. To top it off, we uncover that Aspen has the highest number of deed-restricted units in the given communities, second only to Breckenridge.
Ott humorously gloats that Aspen’s history with rural-resort housing authorities is commendable. Unsurprisingly, Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA), handling most deed-restricted units, houses the largest affordable housing per capita system in the nation. The irony is not lost in the fact that the housing affordability indicators tell a twisted tale of sarcasm and satire.
Not just this, Aspen and Pitkin County’s housing formulas also require new developments to account for affordable housing. Additionally, the real estate transfer tax (RETT) has been a major support to construct affordable housing units.
But the real comedic element of this twisting saga lies in the comparison with other resort towns. Despite the flashy numbers and promising affordability, the prevailing housing crisis is smugly ignored. And so, the joke continues. Our ski town saga constantly stimulates the funny bone as Aspen continues to parade as the affordable housing champion, while housing prices keep soaring.
https://www.aspentimes.com/news/more-than-two-thirds-of-aspens-occupied-homes-are-deed-restricted/