Out of all ski towns, the housing crisis in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is arguably the worst in the United States. The remote town leads the nation in income inequality, as many middle to lower-income residents struggle to find housing.
Last week, Al Jazeera + released a short documentary that interviews numerous residents who are currently homeless, struggling to pay rent, and/or pondering their next move. It’s common for lower-income residents to move many times over the years. Those who want change face the classic NIMBYism that exists in nearly all rich communities.
For those who are homeless in the area, their options are limited. They can camp in their cars, which is a terrible option in the winter. Then there’s the Good Samaritan Mission, a small homeless shelter in town that provides a couple of dozen beds.
It’s not all bad news though, as most of the candidates that Shelter JH endorsed won local elections, and affordable housing ballot measures were approved by voters. These ballot measures will help create more housing by using some of the funds raised by their sales tax. So it may be rough in the short term, but the situation will improve at least slightly in the long term. The video from AJ+ is below.
Image/Video Credits: Aubrey Odom-Mabey of Unsplash, AJ+
