MINDEN, WV (WVNS) – Many people visit the Mountain State for the sights or just a vacation, but with the growing number of tourists comes problems.
With tourism attracting many people to West Virginia and even encouraging them to relocate and start businesses, the concerns and issues that come with it were discussed at a roundtable discussion held Wednesday, July 17, at Ace Adventure Resort.
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One of the most commonly discussed topics at the meeting was the housing situation in Fayetteville and across the state.
Rep. Carol Miller told 59News that with tourism in West Virginia becoming more popular, a future goal is to renovate dilapidated housing, with a combination of price and affordability being a concern.
“It’s an investment in housing and the fact that we do have older homes that need renovating, so we need the right investors that are willing to come in and renovate them. It makes it difficult for local residents when housing prices are higher than residents can afford. There are positive conversations going on about ways residents can work together to make this happen,” Rep. Miller said.
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As more people visit, it is clear that temporary housing will be needed.
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West Virginia Rep. David Elliott Pruitt said short-term housing is part of the problem.
“Fayette County is experiencing a shortage of affordable, quality housing. This housing shortage is exacerbated by the rise in short-term housing. Every time a property comes up for sale, it is purchased by an out-of-state landlord,” Pruitt told 59News.
Pruitt said the issues being addressed now are “much better than the issues we had before.”
He explained that while the national park designation is a great thing, it also impacts housing issues.
