Carvi n g new trails SCHWEITZER BUILDING HOUSING FOR EMPLOYEES by Sandy Compton
NEW BUILDINGS ARISING OFF TRIANGLE DRIVE WILL PROVIDE HOUSING FOR SCHWEITZER RESORT EMPLOYEES. COURTESY PHOTO.
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inding an affordable place to live around Sandpoint has become a challenge, particularly for employees who are core to service industries. Those who work seasonal jobs—tourism-fueled summer businesses and Schweitzer in the winter—are people these businesses can’t operate without, but they can have a hard time finding quarters that don’t eat everything they earn. Schweitzer management, responsible for a large number of area employees, recognized this dichotomy and in early winter of 2021 began taking steps to alleviate the problem. The first was a baby step; the purchase of a former extended care facility in Sandpoint, Hemlock House. It was turned into a bare-bones, dorm-style facility, with room for 16 in eight shared bedrooms. The residents share a laundry room, four shower rooms, a kitchen, a large living room and a rec room. They are also required to sign an agreement about their behavior at Hemlock House. Keeping peace with the neighbors in a communal living situation is very important.
The Next Step is Giant Room for 16 might seem like a drop in the bucket for a resort that employs 700-plus full- and part-time people in winter, but it’s a start. To continue, Schweitzer upped the ante considerably. In partnership with Eastmark Capital Group, the resort broke SandpointMagazine.com SANDPOINT M A G A Z I N E
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