I have struggled with housing the moment I moved to Steamboat a year and a half ago. I’ve been told that if I play by the rules — get a college degree (in my case two), a stable career, save and work hard — I’ll be able to afford a house. The truth is, without any change in our community, I will never be a homeowner in Steamboat. That is why I supported Brown Ranch and voted yes on the annexation. 

I think we can all agree that there is a housing crisis in our community. Those of you who moved here in your early 20s ended up working for the mountain while living at the Ponds. You might remember living with three to four people to a pocket-sized room, and I assure you that is still the case. Our own employees are left with poor living arrangements and are still struggling to make ends meet. Many of my peers, myself included, have considered other housing options and instead are left with rentals that exceed our monthly income. How will anyone entering the workforce be able to stay in this beautiful community when people who earn four times my income can still barely afford it? 

Vital community members, including teachers and nurses, are being forced to relocate to neighboring towns like Oak Creek or Craig due to the lack of affordable housing here. This not only disrupts their lives, but also makes traffic congestion on U.S. Highway 40 worse as they commute back and forth daily.

The first $20 million from this project would have gone toward the expansion of Highway 40, addressing traffic concerns everyday commuters face. Pushing back the annexation vote has only made these issues worse. This project is not too fast too soon; in fact, it is quite overdue and necessary to everyday citizens. Let us be as proactive as we can, not reactive to an issue already so prevalent to our locals.

I am experiencing the housing crisis firsthand. My options are very limited. Either I can move and leave this wonderful town I have grown attached to, or I can continue worrying about if I will be able to pay next month’s rent. Unfortunately, I am not the first or the last local to face this dilemma.

Erika Sexton
Steamboat Springs