The Yampa Valley Housing Authority board of directors has instructed their legal counsel to draft a mutual separation agreement for Executive Director Jason Peasley, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon.

Board members plan to vote on the agreement at their March 12 board meeting. Peasley has held his position since 2012.

The statement does not include details on the reasoning behind the housing authority’s decision to separate from its executive director.

Drawing on the YVHA mill levy, collaborations between public and private sectors, as well as federal and state grants and philanthropic donations, Peasley’s efforts during his tenure helped the authority create a total of 401 homes for local employees, targeting keeping community-serving workers rooted in Steamboat despite rising costs.

“Jason’s leadership over the past several years has fundamentally changed the landscape of housing in Steamboat Springs,” said YVHA Board President Kathi Meyer in the statement. 

“He built and strengthened partnerships at every level — locally, statewide and nationally — and successfully leveraged the YVHA mill levy alongside federal, state and philanthropic funding to create 401 homes for our workforce,” Meyer continued. “His ability to bring together public and private partners to achieve shared goals has left a lasting impact on our community.”

Peasley’s credentials mix formal education with boots-on-the-ground work. A Michigan State University graduate with a degree in urban and regional planning, he cut his teeth as a planner for the city of Steamboat Springs, mastering zoning rules, city growth strategies and future-oriented plans. 

In his role at YVHA, he pushed attainable housing onto the radar of area policymakers.​

“It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve the workforce of Steamboat Springs,” said Peasley in the statement. “Building housing and elevating the issue of affordability with our community’s decision-makers has always been about one simple goal — making it easier for those who work here to live here.” 

“I am deeply proud of what our team has accomplished together and the heart and soul they have dedicated to the community,” he added.

His reach grew statewide when Gov. Jared Polis named him to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Board in 2023, honoring his housing advocacy. 

YVHA leaders insist the agency’s drive endures. Employees will press ahead with homebuyer options at The Cottonwoods, Hilltop expansion, prospects on U.S. Forest Service property, and possibly Brown Ranch, if locals greenlight it. 

Peasley declined to provide additional comments to the newspaper regarding his impending departure and potential next steps. 

“Our talented and committed staff remain focused on delivering housing solutions for our community,” said Meyer in the statement. “The work continues, and we are confident in the team’s ability to carry this mission forward.”

Despite creation of 400-plus residences for local employees, Peasley’s tenure leading the housing authority has been marked by various setbacks. In early 2024, Steamboat voters rejected annexation of Brown Ranch, a project intended to create a supply of affordable housing west of town. In late 2025, Steamboat Springs City Council member Dave Barnes said that YVHA leadership constituted an “elephant in the room” that could be making it more difficult to attract housing authority board members. And conditions at existing YVHA-developed housing projects emerged as a concern this past January, with Peasley since reporting that the housing authority has made “a ton of progress” on that issue.