Maria is somewhat of a rarity in the resort-town of Vail Valley, Colorado—a local. She grew up not too far away, on a ranch with her family. Gypsum, Colorado is a small town outside of the ski resorts of Beavercreek, Breckenridge, and Vail, often housing the service-industry community that works in these very resorts. With difficulty and expense of transporting building materials to this region, along with the high cost of land, there is a scarcity of affordable housing and leads to labor shortages in the area. Spring Creek Village, an affordable housing community in Gypsum Colorado, is also a rarity made possible by Polar Star Realty, a local real estate investment company who understands the need for these homes.

As a single mother to two small children, Maria was living with her parents, hoping for a way to make it on her own. She works for an investment firm and runs her own photography business on the side. She volunteers in the winter season with SOS Outreach Program, teaching underprivileged children how to ski and snowboard. Living in a naturally beautiful region, Maria is able to provide her children with a safe home where they can play outdoors and watch the elk from their balcony, because of the affordability of Spring Creek Village.

“Being a single parent, it’s a lot harder to find affordable housing. Here, I can live on my own with my kids. I don’t think I could do this, if there weren’t places like this available,” Maria says.