If you’re coming to Skagway as a seasonal for the first time, and your housing is provided by your employer, you might not know the town is having any challenges. And that’s the case with many of the seasonals I spoke with, who didn’t want to go on the record for fear of jeopardizing their job, or their housing. But many long-time residents began their time in Skagway as a seasonal, and have seen the changes in the town over the years.

Wendy Anderson first came to Skagway in 1993 for a seasonal job at a gallery. She only intended to come for one season. Thirty years later, she now works year-round as a Visitor Information Specialist, and owns the home she plans to retire in. Wendy’s experience in housing that first summer was typical of what seasonals still report today.

“So the housing I had my first summer here was… they said it was a three-bedroom house. My part of it, I got here last, so I got to pick last,” Anderson said. “And so it was actually just sort of an alcove in the eaves of the house. I didn’t even have a door, I had a curtain, I had to hang up a curtain just for some privacy.  But for Skagway housing, it was pretty good. That was when a lot of people were actually tenting in the woods before they put the kibosh on that.”

Janilyn Heger and her husband Gary’s home of more than 25 years has several rental properties which they use as a mix of short and long-term rentals. They also own the Skagway Spirits Distillery, and a construction company. And they previously managed the Garden City RV park.

“It used to meet seasonal housing needs until the city took away the periphery, meaning State, 17th and Maine, that the street sides of Garden City RV park were used by employee housing and they lived in travel trailers all summer long,” Heger said. “And the city made the decision for whatever reason to abandon that type of housing and that created a domino’s effect that has been really a disaster for the community. The tipping point this last season was when there was no longer travel trailers for an option. Employers started buying buildings and displacing year-round housing and so now we’re at an absolute standstill. There’s none to be had.”

Wendy Anderson lived for several years in the Reed apartments. That’s one of the buildings in town that recently sold. The new owner converted it to seasonal renters, and forced out long-time year-round tenants. But the rumors had been swirling for years that the building might sell. It’s what pushed Wendy to purchase a place of her own.

“And so I was looking at different houses,” Anderson said. “And I mean, there was even more dilapidated houses that were being put up for sale at that point.  Many of the ones that I looked at were actually torn down. And then this property came up.  And you know, it was tough when I did it. And expenses were a whole lot less then than they are now.”

It’s been tough for Kari Rain, who began her time in Skagway as a seasonal ranger with the Park Service in 2005. In fact, we were housemates the summer I worked at the Park Service in Skagway. And nearly twenty years later, she’s seen the full range of housing options in town.

“No idea there was any, any issues because I moved right into park housing,” Rain said. “It was inexpensive, right? I think I don’t, I don’t even know if we got charged, what, 200 a month or something like that. And so I did that for two years, so 2004, 2005. In 2006, I put word out that I wanted to live here.”

Rain spent summers in park service housing, and then winters in various places throughout town. She finally found year-round housing at a cabin in Dyea where she says she was happy for many years. Until the owners put it up for sale.

They put it up for sale.  I tried to buy it. I contacted like 11 financial institutions and because there was no foundation,” Rain said. “So no one would give me a loan. And, some people bought it, told me how much they loved having me in Dyea and how welcome I was. And six weeks later, I got a registered letter saying you have two weeks to get out. So there I am in October, November, something like that, trying to find housing.

In the years since, she’s had mixed luck with finding a safe, stable place to rent for her and her pets. But says she wouldn’t live anywhere else.

It’s a familiar Skagway story. Someone came up for a season, loved it, and decided to stay. But that story is getting more difficult to write. Fewer year-round housing options are available, either to rent or buy. And the ones that are available aren’t always in the best shape. It’s not a new problem. It just seems to be getting worse. Residents agree that Skagway housing is at a tipping point. But there’s some debate over whether the challenges rise to the level of a crisis.

“You know, I’ve heard it said that Skagway doesn’t have a housing crisis,” Anderson said.  “It’s more of how we’re using it. And I don’t know how true that is or not. I mean, quality housing, yes, there is definitely a shortage. Because there’s a lot of places that have mildew or aren’t up to standard. I think there’s a housing shortage right now for people who want to be here year-round because so much housing is being purchased by summertime businesses. The people I’m seeing now who were my age when I was just starting out are working two or three jobs just to be able to afford a shared living situation. For that next generation that wants to stay here, it’s getting harder and harder.”

 

This is the second episode of Molly McCluskey’s series “The Skagway Shuffle.”  McCluskey has contributed to the U.S. News & World Report, Rolling Stone, The Atlantic and The Washington Post. She is also a former reporter for the Skagway News and she returns to report on Skagway’s housing challenges and some possible solutions. Tune in Wednesday, June 26 for the third episode of the series.