Triple Crown Casinos in Colorado recently invested $1 million in employee housing in Cripple Creek, one of the state’s three casino towns.
It has opened the Gold Fever Inn and welcomed 15 employees to studio apartments at the Inn, which was an abandoned motel before being renovated. This is the first time such employee housing has been opened in the town.
The Gold Fever Inn has 150 rooms in five stories.
Scott Porter, director of corporate casino operations for Triple Crown, explained, “We had employees who were sleeping in their cars or asking if they could sleep in storage areas, underneath stairwells.” He added, “Some were staying in tents in backyards or couch surfing. They’re great employees who want to work here.”
The low unemployment rate created competition for housing in the Pikes Peak region of the state. This prompted the casino to acquire employee housing, said Porter. The company worked with a housing task force that specializes in providing low income housing and refurbished the rooms and furnishing them with kitchenettes, WI-FI, cable TV and other amenities. Rents range from $400-$700 a month.
