Join us for our upcoming six-part webinar series How to Shred GNAR(ly) Problems: Tools, Techniques & Resources to Help Address Epic Housing Challenges. The series will bring together leading practitioners, organizations and scholars to explore recent data, share community experiences, and review strategies related to housing affordability and short-term rentals.         2:00-3:30PM MDT: Any community in which the housing market is undersupplying affordable homes for its residents and local employees can benefit from information provided by a Housing Needs Assessment. It will not only inform how much housing is needed to support the community and economy, but should also provide insight into how much, at which price points, and for whom housing is needed. This session will provide an overview of: 1) what information a housing needs assessment can and should provide for your community; 2) why the information is important; and 3) how to use study results. PRESENTERS: Wendy Sullivan, (WSW Consulting)   > RSVP HERE <       2:00-3:30PM MDT: In the last ten years, short-term rentals have dramatically altered the landscape of guest accommodations and our understanding of how they affect communities. While the new sharing economy can bring economic benefits, they can also have detrimental effects on community character and housing inventory. This session will discuss the most recent data and trends for short-term rentals in the Intermountain West and share strategies to help communities minimize negative impacts and improve compliance via their ordinances. PRESENTERS: Christa Watson (Granicus), John Spuhler (Symliv/Garden City, UT), Brumby Mcleod (College of Charleston), Jordan Katcher (Utah Community Development Office)   > RSVP HERE <       2:00-3:30PM MDT: Every community leader has heard horror stories about bad short-term rental guests, but most short-term rental ordinances and discussions focus on hosts and property managers. What if there were ways to improve the other side of the short-term rental equation: The Guest? John Spuhler (Symliv/Garden City, UT) heads up this session to talk about ways you can communicate your community values and expectations to short-term rental guests to help make them better neighbors. PRESENTERS: John Spuhler (Symliv/Garden City, UT), Brumby Mcleod (College of Charleston), Christa Watson (Granicus), Jordan Katcher (Utah Community Development Office)   > RSVP HERE <       2:00-3:30PM MDT: Mountain and resort communities have been working on issues regarding affordable housing for years. As a result, there's a variety of different tools out there, but which one is right for your community? Thomas Eddington Jr. (director at Integrated Planning & Design, former Planning Director for Park City, UT, and current adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Architecture & Planning) discussess the process Park City went through to evaluate their affordable housing options and the options available to communities today. PRESENTERS: Thomas Eddington Jr. (Integrated Planning & Design, Park City, UT)   > RSVP HERE <       2:00-3:30PM MDT: Many gateway communities have adopted similar housing policies and regulations to improve affordable housing access, whether they be inclusionary zoning, commercial linkage, or development impact fees, and yet, the one thing we all have in common is we all face housing challenges for year round local residents.   That’s the situation the Vail Town Council and the Vail Local Housing Authority found themselves in after more than four decades of staring down housing challenges in the community with no sustained solutions in sight. So what did they do to resolve their dilemma?  They broke the mold and resolved to act boldly, committed to think differently, and dared to take risks by trying something uniquely new….and Vail InDEED has been the result. In this session George Ruther will explain the innovative aspects of the Vail InDEED program and how it has affected the community of Vail, Colorado. PRESENTERS: George Ruther (Housing Department Director, Vail, CO)   > RSVP HERE <       2:00-3:30PM MDT: This peer-to-peer learning session is an opportunity for gateway and natural amenity communities to get together to discuss how they've seen affordable housing and short-term rental issues show up in their communities, and strategies for how to address them. This session is geared toward GNAR community members and not the general public. Participants should come prepared to connect with other community leaders to share insights, challenges, and strategies from their community and to learn from other communities across the Intermountain West. FACILITATED BY: THE GNAR INITIATIVE   > RSVP HERE <     SPONSORED BY:     INTERESTED IN SPONSORING THE SERIES? CLICK HERE TO SEE SPONSORSHIP LEVELS AND BENEFITS     Want to stay in the loop? Join the GNAR Network!