A bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse — which is set to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives — could provide greater certainty around plans to use an 8-acre U.S. Forest Service administrative site in Steamboat Springs to construct workforce housing.

City Council members and the Yampa Valley Housing Authority have expressed interest in partnering with the Forest Service on the project, which would be developed on a parcel on Hilltop Lane. But uncertainty over the future of legislation giving the federal agency the authority to enter into leasing agreements has kept it on hold.

The 2018 Farm Bill gave the Forest Service authorization to lease underutilized administrative sites for purposes of addressing local housing needs. The bill was set to expire last year before it was extended until the end of September 2024.

A spokesperson from Neguse’s office said the congressman is hopeful any new farm bill would include language allowing Forest Service leasing authority to continue “in exchange for in-kind contributions, including housing construction and improvement or maintenance of federal facilities.”

If that doesn’t happen, the bill being pushed by Neguse — and championed by U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado and Sen. Steve Daines of Montana — aims to continue and strengthen the Forest Service’s leasing authority while giving cities and towns greater certainty for future projects.

Called the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act — and passed this week through the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources as part of the Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences — the bill proposes to extend Forest Service leasing authority until 2028, allowing the agency to lease an administrative site for up to 100 years and providing a pathway for lease agreements to be renewed.

In a statement, Neguse said “equipping the Forest Service with the ability to lease administrative sites will help to meet the needs of communities surrounded by federal lands, building on the existing program and increasing much-needed access to affordable housing.”

“I am thrilled to see the House Committee on Natural Resources move forward on this important bill. Now, it’s time we get it across the finish line,” he added.

“The American West faces a housing crisis, and our mountain and rural communities are at the center of it,” Bennet added. “We need to use every tool available to build more affordable housing and help Coloradans live where they work.”

YVHA Executive Director Jason Peasley said a meeting between the authority and the Forest Service to discuss the development of its administrative site left the parties committed to pushing toward the goal of creating a leasing agreement by year’s end.

“The objective that we sort of collectively talked about was we would like to get this done before you have to deal with either the authority within the farm bill not being authorized, or another government shutdown, or whatever,” Peasley said.

“YVHA has been participating, but not in the leading role of that — we are going to take more of a leadership role in that project, and that is going to be an important step for us for taking advantage of one of the last infill opportunities that exists in the city,” Peasley added.