Recent reporting on the scarcity of single-family homes in the city of Steamboat Springs priced in the $400,000 and $500,000 ranges suggest to us that the dream of working families building a single-family home here is fading, and the typical mountain resort town pattern of down-valley growth may soon settle in.

We are proud of Steamboat voters who saw fit, in the Nov. 7 election, to vote in favor of a 10-year, 1-mill property tax put forth by the Yampa Valley Housing Authority. The expectation is the tax will raise $900,000 to leverage new housing developments through grants for low-income residents, seasonal workers and entry-level homebuyers who work here. It’s a big step forward that we have been anticipating for almost 20 years.

But the new tax isn’t meant to create modest single-family homes for established Steamboat families in the “move-up” market, and that’s an important issue.

Read more at Steamboat Today.