In 1997, the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) was established as an arm of the municipal government. The WHA’s mandate is to oversee the development and management of price and occupancy-controlled real estate available  only to resident employees and their families.

Over the last 25 years, Whistler has been pioneering affordable housing for its local workforce with a housing model that is now in demand across the country. WHA oversees the development, administration, and management of employee restricted housing in Whistler. The WHA maintains and is continually augmenting its inventory of employee restricted housing so that both rental and ownership accommodation are available and affordable for local income earners and retirees in perpetuity. Due to these efforts, Whistler continues to meet and exceed its target of housing over 75 per cent of its workforce locally, which is important for Whistler’s vitality and the stability of its workforce.

Whistler currently has approximately 2,270 units of affordable rental and ownership housing for the community’s workforce and families.

The WHA is committed to informing and engaging the community about changes to the Employee Housing Program and considers community feedback in its decision-making.

For more information on the Whistler Housing Authority and Whistler’s Employee Housing Program, visit www.whistlerhousing.ca.

There have been recent changes to the eligibility of Whistler’s Employee Housing Rental Program as part of initiative #7 from the Mayor’s Task Force on Housing: “To refine the employee restricted housing program’s eligibility criteria and enforcement framework” with the goal of optimizing the use of the existing employee restricted homes in the community by making sure they are available for the individuals and families they were intended for.

These changes to the program were adopted by Council on July 23, 2019, and further amended on April 5, 2022 through the RMOW Employee Housing Rental Policy K-01.