Conditions have been somewhat more stable in the South Valley but more volatile in the North Valley, which is often the case in tourism-dominant economies.'

'In both cases, homes affordable for the local workforce are in short supply. 'Rents are at record levels and rental availability is extremely limited, whereas prices for single family homes are now at or near pre-recession levels,' the study found. Outside wealth and investment have poured in for decades, and finding affordable housing in town is difficult for anyone but the rich.Ī 2016 county housing study found a significant imbalance: jobs are concentrated in Crested Butte, but many of those workers commute from Gunnison, where they live and scramble for housing, pushing rental prices up and reducing supply. Jobs and tourism dollars are concentrated in Crested Butte, 30 miles north of Gunnison. The economic drivers of the area contribute to this shortage. Gunnison County’s workers put 32% of their income on average toward rent, compared to 19% in non-tourism-based economies, according to an analysis by Headwaters Economics, a nonprofit research firm. For years, prices have ballooned, and supply has not kept up with demand. Like other mountainous regions in the state, affordable housing is scarce in Gunnison County, which includes the towns of Gunnison and Crested Butte. The reason for this trend is simple: Gunnison County is in the midst of a housing crisis, years in the making and intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic fallout. The ABC Suites, along with some of its neighboring lodging facilities, have become long-term and sometimes permanent residences for locals. Once a motel, the business no longer takes nightly lodgers.

“Extended stay only” reads the sign outside the ABC Suites. The next substantial town is more than 60 miles and several mountain passes to the west, but tired drivers wishing to stay the night in Gunnison will have little luck at some of the roadside motels on the way into town. Many travelers seeking adventure in the Rockies-or carrying on to Utah-pass this way. from the east will pass a number of motels off to the side of Highway 50, which runs down into town from Monarch Pass on the Continental Divide.

Paintbrush motel