Take a tour of The Cottonwoods at Mid Valley and meet some new homeowners

April 1, 2026 Shannon Lukens

By Shannon Lukens for Steamboat Radio News/Blizzard Broadcasting.

Those who entered the lottery to receive a unit in Building Two at The Cottonwoods at Mid Valley, at 140% of AMI, or Average Median Income, will be notified on Thursday if they get one.

Twenty out of 43 units are already under contract.

Bill McCoy has already been approved and will be one of the first moving in.

“Super excited about the opportunity. I’ve been in town for about 20 years now. I think I had written off the possibility of ever being a homeowner. This is a dream come true, really, just to have a place that I can call home and be in Steamboat for another 20 years, or more.”

Yampa Valley Housing Authority hosted a tour of Building Two at the Cottonwoods Wednesday. There are a total of 86 deed-restricted one-, two-, and three-bedroom floor plans. They are only available to those who work in Routt County or retirees here.

Another new homeowner is Lauren Hughes.

“I actually currently live in YVHA housing. I live at Alpenglow, and so being able to live there and not having to pay like, you know, 50 percent of my salary on rent has allowed me to actually save up to put down a down payment on a house. So I’m just so grateful and so blessed for YVHA and for what it’s allowed me to do. And now I’m able to like actually set down roots and like be here permanently. So yeah, it’s been amazing. And my unit is beautiful. I’m so happy. Honestly, I think the feature I’m most excited about is that everyone that I’ve learned who’s moving in here, they’re all really cool. They’re like people in the community that I’m aware of. I’m excited to have them as neighbors. I feel like it’s just gonna be a really awesome, happy family.”

Sale price, based on AMI, is from the mid $200s to $400s.

A donation of the land also helped make The Cottonwoods possible, as well as a $4 million grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs.