Verona’s Oneida Indian Nation casino has secured 50 new apartments in New York State to offer to its hourly employees at below-market rates.
The apartments are in a $15m complex close to Oneida’s Turning Stone casino, which is west of Unica. The Villages at Stoney Creek complex will offer one-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, with rent starting at $550 and $750 per month respectively.
New, full-time employees who have relocated to the area will be able to take advantage of the lower market rates. Those who are filling positions that have had substantial shortages will also have access to these apartments.
Oneida made the decision to make the apartments available because of a casino and hotel job vacancies that need to be filled. The operator believes that amount of available jobs is a by-product of a national shortage in the service sector.
The complex will start accepting tenants on July 1, 2022.
Oneida representative Ray Halbritter commented: “This investment in employee housing is to help fill critical, full-time, hourly positions at our resort — cooks, dealers, hotel jobs, to name a few. Upstate New York has been particularly hard hit by an employee shortage.”
Halbritter said he is also confident that offering its staff the five-building apartment complex will aid in attracting new employees to the area.
Currently, the Onedia Nation Enterprises employs more than 4,500 people in its gambling operations and other businesses.
The Oneida and St. Regis Mohawk compacted tribes recently partnered with Wynn Resorts to release its online sportsbook, WynnBET, in New York.
