Sleeping Bear Gateways study shows need for seasonal workforce housing
Photo: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had expected to provide quarters for its employees who needed housing this summer. Because regulations made it impossible for seasonal workers to share space in park service buildings, the Lakeshore worked with the private sector to house the majority of their seasonal workers.
From staff reports
Each summer, more than 1,000 workers look for seasonal housing in order to take jobs in Leelanau and Benzie Counties, according to a new study funded by the Sleeping Bear Gateways Council.
Businesses in gateway communities from Glen Arbor to Thompsonville say the lack of housing for summer employees may limit the services they can offer their customers.
“The challenge is, unless you have a connection (family with second home, etc.) it is difficult to hire enough staff because they don’t have a guaranteed place to live,” said one employer who responded to the housing survey.
The Sleeping Bear Gateways Council (SBGC) is a non-profit organization whose mission is “preserving the unique character and natural resources of the area for the benefit of its citizens, visitors, the economy and the environment.”
The group, which evolved from the former Citizens Council of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Area, works to facilitate planning for anticipated growth in communities within 60 miles of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
The Seasonal Workforce Housing Study was funded by SBGC and conducted over the past several months by Avenue ISR, a Traverse City consulting firm. Information was gathered from 62 businesses in Benzie and Leelanau counties.
Businesses were surveyed about seasonal hiring, and were asked specifically: “How many of these seasonal workers might need seasonal workforce housing? (That is, don’t already have housing when they come to work for you.)”
Based on responses to that question, the report estimates overall seasonal housing needs for all businesses at about 1,200 spaces. The 62 survey respondents, representing just under one-third of seasonal hiring in the two counties, estimated their businesses have 377 positions needing seasonal housing.
In one of the study’s key findings, more than 60 percent of businesses indicated they have difficulty finding enough housing for seasonal workers. This is despite the fact that many employers said they offer housing subsidies or other assistance to their seasonal workforce.
“We chose to look at this one slice of the regional housing problem, because it relates directly to the services our local businesses can offer to residents and visitors,” said SBGC president Mike Rivard. “It appears that addressing seasonal workforce housing may be one step toward restoring some balance to what is a very complex situation potentially affecting service quality to both residents and visitors.”
Seasonal workforce housing can be a particular problem in popular tourist regions such as Northwest Michigan, where summer rental rates are often targeted toward vacationers or short-term stays.
The situation has existed locally for a number of years, and was exacerbated in 2020 by the COVID-19 crisis, which made it more difficult for seasonal employees to share rooms or apartments.
For example, the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore had expected to provide quarters for its employees who needed housing this summer. Because regulations made it impossible for seasonal workers to share space in park service buildings, the Lakeshore worked with the private sector to house the majority of their seasonal workers.
The study also queried businesses operators about potential solutions to address the seasonal workforce housing crisis. Some support was found for construction of dormitory-style housing, more seasonal or year-round rental housing, finding space for employees to board with “host families,” and providing RV spaces for “work campers.”
The most highly rated proposal was development of a web-based application to help employers match potential hires with appropriate and available housing.
Based on that finding, the Gateways Council has begun a pilot project to create a Seasonal Worker Housing Exchange, said Bill Witler, chair of the organization’s Housing Task Force. When fully implemented, the Housing Exchange will provide employers with listings supplied by individuals or companies with available housing.
The exchange will require cooperation from businesses and housing providers. It will be designed to ensure that it doesn’t compete with traditional real estate listings and that participants’ privacy is maintained, Witler said.
The full Seasonal Workforce Housing Study is available on request by emailing: mike@pinehavenadvisors.com
