When I moved to Revelstoke six weeks ago, everyone told me how difficult it was to find decent housing at a reasonable price here. I seemed to luck out. Within four days of arriving in town I found a nice place to live only two blocks from work and within walking distance of almost everywhere essential. I could leave my car at home most days, walk home for lunch, and stumble home from the bar with ease.

Then I hit a snag and found out my great situation was not so great and I needed to move out by the end of November. Now, the reality of Revelstoke’s housing market has hit me hard.

Revelstoke’s housing issues are no secret. An affordable housing plan has been in the works for years. Spurred on by the spike in housing prices that came with the opening of Revelstoke Mountain Resort, it looked to be a go. But then the market corrected, making it easier to buy a house and reducing the wait list for affordable housing to a single person.

Homes are more affordable now than they were even just a year ago. The big issue now is with the lack of rental housing. With word spreading about Revelstoke and with the influx of ski bums coming to town this winter to ride the world’s next great ski resort (and escape the Olympics in Whistler), rental units are at a premium and increasingly hard to come by.

I’ve been checking out the classifieds, bulletin boards scattered around town almost daily and browsing every website I know of looking for a place. When I call, I found out it’s already been taken, or they’re looking for a female, or there’s some other issue. One room I did look at got snapped up moments before I was going to take it. Another room was advertised as “furnished” but had nothing more than a mattress on the floor. Other places are just ridiculously over-priced for what they offer, even for someone used to the high housing costs of Toronto.

As Revelstoke continues to expand its tourism sector and attract more temporary residents here for a season or two of fun in the mountains, the need for decent rental housing will become even more pressing. No one seems to really know how many seasonal residents there are in town, but if internet chatter and the speed with which rooms get snapped up is any indication, it’s definitely a high number and they’re going to need somewhere to live. This isn’t just a concern born out of my own experience – I’ve also heard it brought it up at several committee meetings and by people with deep roots in the community. I don’t think anyone really wants this town to become a Whistler or a Banff, where several people cram into one room and living conditions are often slum-like.

In conclusion, does anyone have a room for rent? I’m mature, respectful of others, have an awesome record collection, I’ll be here for longer than just the winter, and I can bring home a copy of the paper every week. E-mail me at reporter@revelstoketimesreview.com. Trust me, it’s that bad.