NAGS HEAD, N.C. — Construction is underway for a house that up to 16 Nags Head Ocean Rescue Lifeguards will someday call home for the summer.
The project is something the Town of Nags Head has wanted to make happen for years.
“It's been a topic of discussion since I took over this position 20 years ago," Chad Motz, Nags Head Ocean Rescue captain, said.
Motz has been involved in ocean rescue in the Outer Banks for a long time. Though Nags Head Ocean Rescue does its best to help its lifeguards find housing, it remains a challenge each year.
“Occasionally, every year, there are people that want to accept a job but just can't, at the last minute, find a place to live, and ultimately, have to decline a position," Motz said.
The Town of Nags Head is working to change that.
“We decided we would take matters into our own hands, and we would build a facility where we could house at least, in this case, up to 16 of our lifeguards. So that's almost a third of our force would have the option of living here," Ben Cahoon, mayor of Nags Head, said.
The project has been years in the making. The project costs around $1.5 million and is included in the town’s budget.
“We were fortunate as a town to have this piece of land with space available where we could construct a facility. So, we made it part of our master planning effort a few years ago and finally, we were able to bring it to fruition," Cahoon said.
Cahoon hopes these efforts can be a model for other towns in the Outer Banks to follow in their seasonal workforce housing challenges.
“That's something I've really been an advocate for in my term, is that the town find a way to serve as a model for housing our seasonal employees, not just for our sister towns here on the Outer Banks, but also our business community. To be able to show them that, yes, it can be done," Cahoon said.
It's still up in the air if the house will be available at some point this summer, but it will be completed in time for next summer. Rent will be determined when the project is completed. For Motz, it’s a weight off his shoulders to know that his staff, a vital part of the seasonal employees in the Outer Banks, will be able to have the housing opportunity.
“Having a facility that we can offer out that we know is going to be consistent year after year, and a safe, affordable place for guards to live in town is going to be a huge asset," Motz said.
