Workforce Lodging provides shelter to middle-income renters who hold essential jobs in a community such as police officers, teachers, medical staff, and construction trade workers. This market segment can offer better tenancy stability and lower turnover, thus reducing overall operating costs.
These families typically earn too little to qualify for luxury housing and too much to receive government-subsidized affordable housing. This creates a gap in the marketplace that workforce housing can fill.
Black Diamond Lodging & Accommodations is the premier provider of superior workforce accommodations for remote work environments. As a distinguished brand within the Black Diamond Group’s WFS Business Unit, it provides turnkey lodging solutions that include the rental, leasing, and sale of top-tier modular workspaces and remote workforce accommodations. Its clients include companies working in oil and gas, mining, power, construction, engineering, military, and government sectors.
The company offers a full range of services, including delivery and installation, repair and maintenance, transportation, and ancillary field rentals. Its facilities provide a comfortable living environment for its customers, which are typically oil and gas industry professionals working in challenging and remote locations. The company also delivers high-performance workforce housing that helps its clients save time and money by providing them with access to the necessary tools to meet their project deadlines and achieve business objectives.
Located slope-side at Snow Park base area, these luxury ski-in/ski-out lodges offer a warm and inviting mountain ambiance from the moment of arrival. They feature premium finishes and oversized family areas to allow for quality time with loved ones. The lodges are equipped with private hot tubs, kitchens, and washer/dryers, as well as an on-site concierge service and children’s game room.
In addition, they are staffed with a team of experienced professionals who can help their guests with a variety of needs, such as ski lift ticket reservations, restaurant recommendations, and tour and activity bookings. The staff is available around the clock to ensure that all guests have an exceptional stay at Black Diamond Lodge.
The Black Diamond Group has a strong commitment to corporate responsibility. Its 2024 Corporate Responsibility Report details the Company’s achievements in environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters. It includes best-in-class safety performance with a record low TRIF, achievement of the Company’s 2030 40% reduction target in emissions intensity, and robust and meaningful Indigenous engagement.
The Company’s ESG initiatives are driven by a strong and committed leadership team that is complemented by a strong employee-ownership program. This is a key driver of the Company’s long-term success and growth. The Company’s strategy is to deliver a high return for its investors, while providing sustainable and innovative solutions for customers across the globe. The Company’s two operating business units are Modular Space Solutions and Workforce Solutions. Its portfolio of businesses also includes a digital marketplace that provides business-to-business collaboration and supply chain management. The Company is headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Travelers Haven by Blueground
Construction projects require a lot of manpower and expertise. Often, the workers are required to travel far and wide to get to the site and complete the job. Finding reliable housing options for these workers can be difficult. That’s where workforce lodging companies come in. They provide the accommodations that workers need until the project is completed. They can also assist with navigating complex leases and utilities. This can save time for coordinators and make the process easier for everyone involved.
Travelers Haven by Blueground is one such company. Founded in 2008, this Denver-based workforce housing provider provides stays tailored to each client’s specific needs, location, and length of stay. In 2022, the company crossed $100 million in revenue and boasted a virtual inventory of 2,700 apartments across the US.
The company’s goal is to provide a home away from home while saving clients money and time. It offers flexible terms, a variety of amenities, and the peace of mind that comes with knowing you’re in a safe community. In addition, it is licensed and insured to protect its customers.
As the pandemic has caused a rise in temporary assignments, workforce lodging companies have seen an increase in demand for their services. Many employees need to relocate for a new job or project, and finding suitable housing can be difficult. Workforce housing companies help ease this transition by providing temporary accommodations that are affordable and easy to manage. They can even offer a concierge service to help with local shopping and dining.
The influx of temporary assignments has led to the rise of a new category of corporate housing, known as workforce housing on-demand. This type of housing is ideal for remote workers, nurses, emergency responders, and others who must travel for short-term work assignments. Travelers Haven by Blueground, a leader in the industry, has redefined the term by offering homes that are fully furnished, with modern amenities and a month-to-month lease.
As companies continue to embrace remote work, more employees need a place to call home while they’re on the road. Travelers Haven by Blueground’s curated network of quality, turnkey homes in 30 cities for 30+ days offers the perfect solution.
This acquisition builds upon Blueground’s leadership in the space, and bolsters its ability to serve corporate customers. The two entities will continue to operate as separate entities, but share best practices and work toward integrating their tech platforms in the future. The companies will also make their services available to each other’s existing customer base and will grow Blueground for Business, a service designed for HR teams.
Workforce Housing On-Demand
Workforce Housing On-Demand is a new company that is helping to solve this problem by providing affordable apartments for workers in the construction industry. Its goal is to give these workers an opportunity to purchase a home, rather than be forced out of the market by high rents and rising property prices. It also helps to provide an affordable option for those who are not quite qualified for traditional subsidized housing. Workforce Housing On-Demand provides workforce housing in the form of apartments and single-family homes, as well as condominiums, that are built and managed by professional management companies.
Its apartment communities offer a variety of floor plans and amenities that can accommodate a wide range of income levels, from 80-120% AMI, which is the target income level for workforce housing. Moreover, its community engagement initiatives allow residents to get involved in the decision-making process, which can result in a more well-accepted and successful workforce housing project.
The demand for workforce housing is growing rapidly across the country, with middle-income households struggling to afford local rents as housing costs rise faster than wages. This trend is especially pronounced in resort communities, where the demand for workforce housing far outstrips the supply. Workforce housing on-demand offers an innovative solution to this housing crisis, combining market-rate features with affordable rents for working families.
Providing workforce housing is a crucial step for many towns and cities to maintain their economic vitality, and it’s important that the developers of this type of housing be aware of the unique challenges that this demographic faces. This demographic includes workers who are essential to the economy, such as nurses, firemen, and teachers, as well as seasonal workers in fields such as skiing and fishing.
When it comes to finding affordable housing for these traveling workers, the options are often limited and don’t always meet the needs of a nomadic workforce. Usually, it falls on an ops manager or assistant to find accommodations for the crew members, and they usually default to hotels with long-term rental policies or scrolling through vacation rentals in search of a place that will fit all the criteria.
As a leader in the workforce housing development space, Wallick has taken a proactive approach to this issue by collaborating with like-minded local partners, testifying before state committees, and building key relationships with government bodies to secure funding resources for this critical project. As a result, Corners Crossing is now a reality, serving an important need in Grand Traverse County. In addition to this, we are also focused on fostering partnerships with local chambers of commerce in order to solicit support for our future workforce housing projects. It’s our mission to provide workforce housing that reflects the lifestyle of its residents, while still remaining cost-effective.
