The exclusive Colorado ski resort of Vail is building a $189 million housing complex reserved exclusively for local workers, as the town grapples with soaring living costs driven by wealthy tourists and celebrity homeowners. The Southface Vail development aims to keep essential workers in a community where the average flat costs nearly double the national rate, with the mayor framing it as a necessary investment in the people who "make our town work" rather than just an infrastructure project.

The three four-storey buildings will house 268 units in total, comprising studios and one- and two-bedroom flats, alongside amenities including a fitness centre, co-working space and a dedicated bus stop, with completion expected by September 2028. Rents will range from $1,600 to $2,500 a month, well below Vail's average of $3,620, though every unit must be occupied by a full-time Eagle County employee as their primary home. The scheme follows the town's Timber Ridge Village project and comes as Vail faces a budget squeeze after a poor snow season hit tourism revenue, prompting mixed reactions online, with some residents welcoming the housing and others fearing it will make the town less appealing.