It seems like everywhere you look, there is someone talking about the housing crisis. I’m a multi-generation, Flathead Valley local and my family was extremely lucky when we bought our house last year. We have no control over the fact that people want to live here, and we certainly can’t blame them for wanting to improve their quality of life. It’s always been hard to find something affordable in a place that’s very desirable.
I live in a neighborhood where there are three residences, and seven VRBOs. It’s no secret that you can make thousands of dollars more having a short-term rental versus a long-term rental. But we need to decide as a community what we value more. At some point, and we may be there already, we are going to lose the individuals that work in industries that we all need, because they have nowhere to live. Converting long-term rentals into VRBOs is prioritizing the tourist and their dollars. Don’t we have enough vacation rentals? We can’t afford to lose our teachers, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and grocery store workers.
We need to put our money where our mouths are and show that we value our local community. Tourism has obviously helped the valley grow, but they spend their dollars and then they leave. But the locals who teach our children, fix our cars, run our grocery stores, and respond when someone calls 911 are here every day, and need places to live. It’s easy to make VRBO money now, but we have to look forward to the future of this valley. If we don’t, there won’t be people to staff our favorite breweries, fight wildfires, or provide childcare. If we reach that point, will the Flathead still be a great place to live?
Madison Hylton
Columbia Falls