The Yampa Valley Housing Authority is pursuing $1 million from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund to upgrade the aging water and wastewater infrastructure at Whitehaven Mobile Home Park in Steamboat Springs. 

The project, estimated to cost $3.2 million, aims to improve the health, safety and affordability of housing for approximately 70 residents across 27 homes throughout the park. 

“The planned improvements include replacing the aging infrastructure and connecting the park to the municipal water system, eliminating dependence on the existing private well,” said Yampa Valley Housing Authority Executive Director Jason Peasley. “These upgrades will improve system reliability and ensure residents have access to safer, high-quality drinking water.”

The project has already received $1 million in federal funding through U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The appropriations were secured by U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, Peasley said. Additional funding is necessary, however, to cover the full cost of the upgrades without burdening residents with higher lot rents. 

Routt County commissioners expressed strong support for the housing authority’s grant request. In a letter to the Department of Local Affairs dated March 25, the commissioners highlighted the importance of prioritizing the health and safety of residents and maintaining affordable housing for Routt County’s workforce. 

“Since 2010, there has been a drastic decrease in manufactured and mobile homes in Routt County from 1,300 to 770 homes. At the same time, monthly lot rents at the remaining mobile home parks, most of which are privately owned, have increased to become less affordable,” the letter stated. 

“Despite the name, many mobile homes cannot be moved to other locations, so owners are forced to pay the increased rents or sell,” the letter continued. “Grant funding is a particularly important source for this project because (the housing authority) cannot pass the full cost of the infrastructure replacement onto the residents of the park without significantly increasing lot rents to an unaffordable level, which is contrary to (the housing authority’s) mission.”

Whitehaven, west of downtown Steamboat, was acquired by the housing authority in 2022 with assistance from anonymous donors and favorable loans. Lot rents remain affordable at $690-$725 per month, inclusive of water, sewer, trash pickup and snow removal.

The housing authority is also exploring opportunities for residents to take ownership of their communities. A survey conducted early last year revealed that about half of Whitehaven homeowners were interested in forming a resident-owned cooperative. While no decisions have been finalized, the housing authority plans to re-engage with tenants once infrastructure upgrades are complete.

A similar effort was successfully implemented at Milner Mobile Home Park, where the housing authority helped residents form a cooperative to purchase the park after its owner listed it for sale at $8 million — more than double its previous sale price in 2021. 

“The residents asked (the housing authority) for technical assistance, and with a pro bono lawyer and some financing from the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, we are proud to have helped the residents form a resident cooperative and purchase the mobile home park themselves,” Peasley said of the Milner project.

If the grant is not awarded for the Whitehaven project, the housing authority intends to continue seeking funding from other sources to pair with existing federal funds, added Peasley. 

“We are committed to keeping lot rents as affordable as possible at our mobile home park communities,” said Peasley. “Upgrading essential infrastructure to today’s standards is costly, making these grants critical.”

The Whitehaven upgrades were previously expected to begin this spring but are now planned for 2026, Peasley noted, to allow time for the housing authority to nail down financing.