The Yampa Valley Housing Authority has released the results of its recent community survey as the agency and Steamboat Springs city officials work to form a new plan for Brown Ranch and address local housing demand.

According to the results, 204 of the 294 people who took the survey live in Steamboat Springs, with roughly 68% of respondents reporting they have lived in Routt County for more than eight years and 69% reporting they are eligible voters in Steamboat.

Key takeaways from the YVHA survey include findings that nearly 38% of respondents reported paying more than a third of their income on rent or mortgage costs. Also, 28% of respondents classified their housing costs as affordable while 21% reported having difficulty finding house or concerns about a landlord ending or not renewing their lease.

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Of the 294 individuals who took the survey, 72 reported being employers who had difficulties recruiting or retaining employees due to a lack of housing.

Asked if the YVHA and other government entities should subsidize the cost of housing to provide affordable homes in Steamboat Springs, 71% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed.

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At the same time, 60% of those who took the survey said “no” or “maybe” to the question of whether local businesses or organizations should be allowed to purchase YVHA deed-restricted homes for their employees.

“The results of the survey clearly show that we still have an affordable housing crisis in Steamboat Springs, and it is linked to businesses finding it difficult to recruit and retain employees,” YVHA Executive Director Jason Peasley said in a statement.

The YVHA survey also collected feedback on future development plans for Brown Ranch, with results showing 37% of respondents prefer the number of homes built on the property over the next 5-6 years meet demand; 19% wanting 100-399 homes; 11% preferring 400-499 homes; and 6.5% indicating 500-600 homes would be appropriate.

In addition to the raw numbers, the housing authority collected qualitative feedback that included one respondent requesting any future Brown Ranch plans include “expand(ing) public transportation” and focusing on a “phased development approach.”

“The Brown Ranch land should be annexed in smaller chunks so that it is clear that it will be developed in progressive phases,” another respondent wrote.

“We appreciate the feedback we got on the Brown Ranch property, and we will be sharing these results with the City Council, city staff and their new consultant, Community Builders,” added Peasley.

The city hired Glenwood Springs-based Community Builders earlier this month to help inform the process of creating a new development plan for Brown Ranch after voters rejected a special annexation ballot measure in March — a decision that put a stop to plans formed by the housing authority and the city to construct 2,264 affordable and attainable housing units on 420 acres of land west of Steamboat by 2042.

Annexation of the land, which was purchased by the housing authority in 2021 with the help of a $21 million anonymous donation, was needed for the housing development to proceed, but its failure brought local officials back to the drawing board.

Following the vote, City Council members pushed for the city to take a bigger role in forming a new plan for Brown Ranch and instructed city staff to hire a consultant and form a temporary committee to help steer a new path for the affordable housing project.

“The city of Steamboat Springs is taking the lead on gauging what type of development would be possible on the land we own in West Steamboat, and we wholeheartedly support their approach,” Peasley said of the city-led effort.

The housing authority highlighted an additional outcome from the survey, saying it provided “valuable information” for the agency’s plans to introduce a weighted lottery system when selling its deed-restricted condo units at its Cottonwoods at Mid Valley development, which is expected to be completed in early 2026.

According to the survey results, respondents selected local employment criteria as the top ranked priority for a weighted lottery, with nearly 49% of respondents choosing a 1-5 year length of residency as the second highest weighted category for a lottery system.

Respondents also indicated that teachers and child care professionals should be considered a priority in a housing lottery, followed by medical professionals and first responders.

The housing authority said it would utilize the survey results to inform future policy decisions and looked forward to sharing its data with the city and its consultant.