As Pique News Magazine reported, there's a lack of affordable housing in Whistler for service workers, and some people fear that without a permanent solution, there "is a real threat to the viability of our towns." The same source spoke to service workers who were fighting to rent "cupboard" sized rooms, couches in living rooms, and even repurposed garages that were going for $4,500 a month.
"You get these three- to five- to six-bedroom houses and there are two to three people in each room," Costello said. "People will cram into closets and live there if they have to, just because there are more people than there is housing available to them."
According to the Daily Hive, the average Whistler home costs $3.6 million, thanks to an increase of 15% between 2021 and 2022, and the average condo price increased by 10% to $673,000.
Costello has faced the housing challenge firsthand. In the two-and-a-half years Costello has lived in Whistler, he said he's moved eight times. Last month, Costello moved 30 minutes south of Whistler to Brackendale after an unsuccessful search for a place to live in Whistler.
"I think that people just need to be aware that they're gonna have to sacrifice a little bit to live in Whistler. It's a good sacrifice, but finding accommodation is very, very, very challenging," he said.