County-level electoral support for affordable housing policies in tourism-dependent economies: spatial variation of Proposition 123 in Colorado, USA

The cost-of-living crisis is impacting tourism-dependent economies globally. This article presents a case study of resident support for affordable housing policy in tourism-dependent county economies. We ask: Does economic dependence on tourism increase support for affordable housing policies? To test our research objectives and assumptions, we employ statistical and spatial analysis methods. Using multiple linear regression, weighted least squares, and geographically weighted regression models (GWR), we examine county-level support for Proposition 123, a 2022 statewide affordable housing ballot measure within Colorado, United States of America. The article makes important empirical contributions to tourism literature. First, our results indicate that tourism employment is not a consistent global predictor of support for Proposition 123 across models. Second, exploratory GWR results indicate that support for Proposition 123 varies spatially across Colorado county types and regions. We argue that tourism dependence does not directly predict support for affordable housing policy, but it helps create the place-specific housing pressures, inequalities, and displacement risks that make affordable housing politically and socially important, especially in Rural Resort Counties.