It's been well over a decade since Whitefish city officials began talking seriously about affordable housing. During that time modest progress has been made in creating programs to provide housing opportunities for the resort town's low- to moderate-income residents.

But is Whitefish's affordable-housing effort too little, too late?

The magnitude of housing problems in Whitefish was driven home two weeks ago when 55 homeowners in Greenwood Trailer Court were served notice to vacate the premises by Aug. 15. Many of the residents saw the handwriting on the wall - that the trailer park nestled among the trees for 60 years would eventually give way to bigger and better development. But it was still a blow to the residents, many of whom are elderly.

There is no bad guy in the story. Dennis Rasmussen, who has owned the trailer court for 40 years, is selling it, in part, to pay for his retirement. You can't fault a businessman for wanting to cash in on his investments.

And Rasmussen is absolutely right when he says "the highest and best use of that property isn't a trailer park." With close to 700 feet of highway frontage and 400 feet along the Whitefish River, it's a developer's dream property.

Nonetheless, any way you slice the rationale for closing the trailer park, the end result is the same: 55 homeowners or renters, their families and their pets are cast out into a housing market that has few safety nets.

A project that would create as many as 20 senior apartments in Whitefish near Mountain View Manor is still two years away. Other Whitefish housing programs, such as the rehabilitation program for existing housing stock and a new homeownership program for first-time home buyers more than likely won't help most Greenwood residents.

New mobile-home parks in Whitefish's planning jurisdiction are no longer allowed as a conditional use. There again, the "highest and best use" of Whitefish land appears to be for anything but mobile-home parks.

The Whitefish City Council approved a voluntary inclusionary zoning ordinance about a year ago that has provided some homes, but the Whitefish Housing Authority has had to turn away 90 applicants who couldn't afford the high cost of homes intended to be affordable.

There's little solace for Greenwood residents who are frantically calling around to other mobile-home parks to inquire about vacancies or searching for affordable apartments. Most of the displaced residents would no doubt prefer to stay in Whitefish, but that seems unlikely for many.

The housing dilemma creates a conundrum for Whitefish. People have been lured there by small-town charm that has included folks from all walks of life, but the many amenities of the Whitefish lifestyle mean property there now comes with a high premium.

If the city of Whitefish is serious about keeping the town affordable for regular folks, then they will have to work twice as hard to ensure that there is affordable housing. They may even have to allow trailer parks in some limited form.