History
History
The Routt County Board of County Commissioners and the City Council of Steamboat Springs established the Yampa Valley Housing Authority in 2003 to address the ongoing issue of affordable housing. They charged the organization with planning, financing, acquiring, managing, and operating housing programs for low-to-moderate income residents employed in Routt County.
- When YVHA was formed, YVHA accepted assets and liabilities from the Regional Affordable Living Foundation (RALF) and at a later date accepted assets and liabilities from Habitat for Humanity of Routt County.
- In 2017, Steamboat Springs voters approved Referendum 5A, a one-mill levy that provides YVHA with a dedicated funding source to spur the development of permanently attainable housing for low-to-moderate income residents.
- YVHA has a history of leveraging community dollars to create affordable and attainable housing. Since 2016, YVHA has leveraged 4.5 million dollars in community funds to build 285 new homes added to the 150 homes held in trust for the community with a total construction value of $103 million.
- In 2022, Steamboat Springs voters passed the short-term rental tax to help fund affordable housing. 14 million dollars in revenue is expected to be generated annually until 2043.
- In 2023, Steamboat Springs voters passed a ballot that dedicates 75% of the short-term rental tax to building the Brown Ranch.
- In 2024, the city of Steamboat Springs voters rejected the Brown Ranch annexation essentially negating the 75% allocation of short-term tax revenue to YVHA.
