By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio News/Birchwood Communications LLC.
The City of Steamboat Springs is launching a new deed-restriction purchase program called Home Base Steamboat.
To qualify, participants must work an average of at least 30 hours per week, year-round, for a business with a physical presence in Routt County. Or they must be retired from a qualifying local job and not own any other residential real estate. Those then purchasing a qualifying home within city limits can receive funding at closing that can be used toward a down payment, closing costs, or other purchase-related prices.
Details from the City of Steamboat Springs are below.
Press Release from the City of Steamboat Springs; June 16, 2026.
Deed Restriction Program Aims To Expand Homeownership
Find Your Place and Shape Our Future With Home Base Steamboat
Steamboat Springs, Colorado-June 16, 2026-The city is launching a new deed‑restriction purchase program, Home Base Steamboat, creating a new pathway to homeownership for local workers while increasing the stock of affordable and attainable housing for years to come.
“This program works to make ownership possible for local workers who keep Steamboat Springs running every day,” said Principal Planner Brad Calvert. “By creating flexible pathways to ownership, we can help local employees and their families find housing that meets their needs at prices they can afford, creating opportunities to remain in the community long term.”
Home Base Steamboat is designed to help local employees buy homes, stay rooted in the community, and keep more local housing available for the workforce that supports the community each day. At program launch, new homebuyers who are local employees can receive financial assistance in exchange for voluntarily placing a deed restriction on their home, ensuring the property remains available to local workers for generations.
Unlike traditional affordable housing programs, this effort does not include income limitations. Instead, to qualify, participants must work an average of at least 30 hours per week, year‑round, for a business with a physical presence in Routt County or be retired from a qualifying local job and must not own any other residential real estate.
Participants purchase a qualifying home within Steamboat Springs city limits and may choose from two deed restriction options. The city provides funding at closing that can be used toward a down payment, closing costs, or other purchase-related expenses.
Buyers can receive up to 15% of the purchase price, capped at $150,000, for a resident-occupied deed restriction that requires resale to another qualified local employee but does not limit appreciation. Alternatively, buyers can receive up to 25% of the purchase price, capped at $250,000, in exchange for an appreciation-capped deed restriction, with future resale value tied to local wage inflation and limited to 3% annual appreciation.
The city has allocated $3 million for the program’s 2026 pilot year. Applications will be accepted on a first‑come, first‑served basis until all funds are committed. If funding remains in October, the program will expand to include two additional pathways: 1) existing homeowners may voluntarily deed-restrict their current home in exchange for a payment from the city and 2) local employers may also deed-restrict up to two units to help house employees. The deed restriction program is administered in partnership with the Yampa Valley Housing Authority. Go online for more information about Home Base Steamboat or to become prequalified.
