This week, Mt. Bachelor ski area and Bend’s Campfire Hotel announced a new partnership that creates subsidized housing for 52 seasonal employees this winter. Applications are now open to full-time employees with options for single- or double-occupancy rooms and access to all Campfire’s amenities.

“I feel like we owe it to our community to really make sure that we are providing the best experience possible for our employees,” said John Merriman, Mt. Bachelor president and general manager. “The Campfire Hotel is such a great fit because they’ve got pools, fire pits and they are right across the street from the bus station that comes up here.”

Although Mt. Bachelor has had smaller subsidized housing programs in the past, Merriman is treating the arrangement as a flagship project with the potential for expansion. Currently, it is the only housing program available to employees that is provided by Mt. Bachelor.

Applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. Merriman said there are no limits on income this year, but that could be an option for the future. Once all full-time employees have had a chance to apply, the application will open up to part-time employees. All applicants will need to pass a background check.

Both Mt. Bachelor and Campfire view this partnership as a win-win for everyone. Daniel Elder, the general manager at the hotel, said fewer people book hotel rooms during the winter. This partnership allows the hotel to fill rooms during the off-season, with the added benefit of creating additional workforce housing.

“It’s no secret Bend is an expensive place to live,” Elder told The Bulletin. “It’s hard to find affordable housing, especially on a short-term basis, without having to put down thousands of dollars in deposits and fees. … It takes places like Mt. Bachelor and Campfire Hotel to think outside the box and come up with a solution. We’re really hopeful this plays out well.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median rent in Bend from 2017 to 2021 was $1,531. Those numbers have only increased with recent bouts of inflation. Mt. Bachelor declined to release how much its subsidized housing would cost employees, but Merriman assured The Bulletin it is a “great deal for our employees.”

Katy Brooks, CEO of the Bend Chamber of Commerce, weighed in on how vital partnerships like this are for seasonal employees.

“It’s born out of necessity,” Brooks told The Bulletin. “There are many other industry actors that are looking at things like this and looking at partnering with developers and others to create more housing. … This is the type of solution that I think we need to do much more of.”

Elder said Mt. Bachelor employees living at the Campfire will have access to all the hotel’s amenities, including a hot tub, the lobby bar and cafe and free Wi-Fi. The hotel has even converted one of its meeting rooms into an employee lounge, with kitchen appliances, a TV and a place to relax.

“We’re very appreciative of (Elder) and the Campfire team for being so easy to work with,” Merriman said. “We want people to really want to come work at Mt. Bachelor because we’re making the experience great for them, and I think providing housing like this is a great addition to everything else we are trying to do.”