TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Business leaders and housing advocates are looking for solutions as housing for seasonal and short-term workers in Michigan's tourism industry has reached a breaking point for many.
"I mean, it's been really tough," Short's Brewing Company CEO Scott Newman-Bale said. "I mean, it was before COVID, as well. But during COVID, it got worse and worse. And last year, we kind of really reached a breaking point where there wasn't places for people to work and live."
In Bellaire, just north of the Traverse City area, Newman-Bale's company hires 30 to 40 seasonal workers each year. He said his business has had to devote additional resources just to make sure his workers had somewhere to stay.
"We had a lot of people who wanted to move up to the area and just couldn't find housing," Newman-Bale said. "We had people camping. It led to Short's end up actually buying a hotel right before last season and using it to house a number of employees. But without that, I don't think it would have been able to open last year."
Some like Golden Swan Management Founder and Managing Partner Kate Bertodatto are looking to change that shortfall.
"We don't really have anything currently, and that's probably part of the issue," Bertodatto said.
"Frankly, I don't care who picks it up," Bertadatto said. "I would love for it to come from the north, because we're really experiencing some hardships up here. But I think that it's a pretty comprehensive approach."
In Traverse City, one of the top tourism destinations in the Michigan, Bertodatto's Golden Swan Management operates as a short-term rental firm for housing.
She has been working to enact legislative change so that state dollars meant to market Michigan's tourism industry can be used to build housing to support it.
"In the state of Michigan, our tourist tax is for marketing," Bertodatto said. "And the way that the statute is written, it can only be used for marketing. That's great. We're on the map. Pure Michigan was incredibly successful. Now, what do we do about it? How do we make sure that we have the infrastructure to support this?"
She said without a proper balance, the industry risks hurting its purpose. With it, the state can support both the industry and its dedicated workers.
"If we don't have people working up here in our restaurants, in our hotels, what are we selling? What are we marketing?" Bertodatto said. "And so, this is a different approach that we're considering up here."
Bertodatto said she's "very optimistic" about getting legislation on the issue introduced to help solve the current housing shortage both for tourism workers as well as everyday Michiganders.
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