| With the Olympic Games coming to Canada in | | | | ships in Squamish; and, |
| 2010, the vacation rental market in Vancouver | | | | A proposal to house Whistler workers in |
| and surrounding area has started to gain | | | | construction trailers or modified shipping |
| momentum. | | | | containers. |
| Salt Lake City in 2002 (North America's most | | | | An additional source of housing supply will come |
| recent Winter Olympics) saw approximately | | | | from local private homeowners. As of January |
| 220,000 out-of-town visits from athletes, | | | | 2008, the website Rent 2010 identifies more than |
| members of the press, Olympics officials, and | | | | 30 Vancouver, Squamish, and Whistler |
| spectators. Assuming a similar number of visitors | | | | homeowners who plan to make their homes (or |
| arrive in the Vancouver area in February 2010, | | | | rooms in their homes) available to athletes, |
| the local area must now turn its mind to the | | | | spectators, and other guests during the period of |
| challenge of satisfying short-term housing demand. | | | | the 2010 Olympics. |
| Event venues for the Winter 2010 Games span | | | | How much will a private vacation rental cost? |
| about 120 kilometers from Richmond (south of | | | | As of January 2008, twenty-five of the Vacation |
| Vancouver) to Whistler (a two-hour drive north of | | | | Rental Listings set an asking price. The average |
| Vancouver). While Vancouver is a large population | | | | nightly price for this sample was $343 per |
| center with many hotels, smaller centers will need | | | | bedroom (Canadian currency). Eighteen of these |
| to turn to creative housing solutions. Proposals to | | | | vacation rentals are in or around the city of |
| date have included: | | | | Vancouver itself, and showed an nightly price of |
| A proposal for short-term lodging aboard cruise | | | | $268 per bedroom. |