Shifting away from a resource-based economy: Tourism development and housing affordability in Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada
Loading...
Issue Date
2026-04
Editor
Authors
Van Hulsen, Amanda Nicole
License
Subject
Abstract
Housing affordability has become a critical challenge in mountain resort municipalities across British Columbia, where tourism-led economic transition, amenity migration, and financialized housing markets intersect with limited local governance capacity. This thesis examines housing affordability in Revelstoke, British Columbia, a former resource extraction-based community that has transitioned into a mountain resort municipality. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on six semi-structured interviews with municipal staff, non-profit housing providers, developers, and community stakeholders to capture the realities of Revelstoke’s housing market. An inductive thematic analysis identifies how amenity-driven population growth, remote work, speculative investment, and high construction and land costs interact with policy misalignment across levels of governance. Findings demonstrate that market-based housing solutions alone are insufficient, highlighting the need for, collaborative non-market planning responses to address localized housing needs in Revelstoke, BC.