Without housing help I could not do my dream job
BBCElla Hardy says she would not be able to afford to do her dream job at a bistro and hotel in the Lake District if her employer did not provide accommodation for staff.
The 24-year-old moved to Grasmere three years ago to take up a position at The Yan At Broadrayne, a converted sheep farm where she also lives on site.
"It has made it super affordable and has meant I get to work in the perfect job in the heart of the Lake District which just wouldn't have been possible otherwise," she said.
"Especially moving to the area for the first time, it's a big commitment to come up here and rent immediately so staff accommodation has given me the chance to check that this is where I want to live."
Affordability in the area, where holiday properties proliferate, has long been a major issue for Cumbrians and those relocating for work.
Campaign group Friends of the Lake District has called for the government to set new rules for holiday lets and second homes in the national park because, they say, locals are being priced out of the market.
In response, the government said it had given councils additional powers to control the issue.
Friends of the Lake District said areas including Borrowdale, Patterdale and Matterdale had seen a rise in residential homes being turned into holiday lets.
The charity claimed any residential property can be turned into a holiday let for direct renting which left the onus on organisations and businesses to bridge gaps for locals and seasonal workers.
Changes in tourist trends post-Covid meant The Yan was struggling to attract and retain staff.
Commercial director Jessica Manley said although building the staff accommodation had been a significant investment, it meant they could now attract high-quality workers.
While her business benefits from the popularity of the Lake District with tourists, she believes more regulation of the holiday let industry is needed.
"I think balance is the word. I think tourism and hospitality is the bread and butter of the county.
"No matter what you do for a living, it all ties back to that tourism industry and the people that are coming to visit this beautiful place."
Renting a house privately in Keswick costs about £1,200 a month, which Keswick Community Housing Trust (KCHT) said is unaffordable for many local families.
The volunteer-led organisation builds and converts properties to rent out to local people at more affordable prices - between about £400 and £700.
Chairman Peter Toes said approximately 32% of residential properties in the town at the heart of the Lake District were holiday homes
KCHT had also noticed a shift from people staying in hotels and B&Bs to choosing more informal holiday lets.
Friends of the Lake District has teamed up with parish councils and national park authorities to write a joint letter to the secretary of state for housing with a call for any home that could be a permanent residence to be one.
Lorayne Wall, head of policy at the charity, said: "We've also been asking people as part of our campaign to think about what's actually lost from a community when people can't find homes locally.
"That might be local skills in terms of managing the landscape, farmers for example, it might be things like window cleaners or dry stone wallers, hedge layers, and, of course, it's also people to actually service the tourism industry.
"We do think there's a way of making it a more mutually beneficial relationship where everyone can enjoy the landscape but the communities can continue to be real communities as well, rather than being hollowed out as they are."
A Ministry of Housing spokesperson said: "We are taking action to address these real pressures for communities like those in the Lake District and are giving councils greater powers to manage short-term lets and second homes.
"We've also been looking at how short-term lets are treated by business rates, to ensure it's fair in supporting genuine small businesses and that homeowners are paying their fair share towards local services."
