Yellowstone National Park is rich in many things – stunning wildlife viewing opportunities, dazzling hot springs and well over two million acres of pristine wilderness – what it lacks, however, is enough accommodation to house its thousands of employees. The employee housing situation in the world's first National Park has gotten so bad that an anonymous donor recently gave the NPS $40 million specifically to help tackle it.
Like housing shortages in ski towns, a lack of affordable housing in and near National Parks like Yellowstone doesn't just make life uncomfortable – it affects the parks' ability to function. In a recent report by NPR, Park Superintendent Cam Sholly revealed he knew of at least five instances where the park has been unable to recruit critical positions because the applicants could not find housing.
