Brown Ranch Community Workshop Encourages Residents To Learn About Housing Data And Share Personal Insights

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO-July 16, 2025-The City of Steamboat Springs and project partner Community Builders will host a community workshop on Tuesday, July 23 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Steamboat Springs Community Center - 1605 Lincoln Avenue.

The Brown Ranch Community Solutions event will delve into the topic of who needs housing and invites residents to engage with new housing needs and demand data, share personal experiences, and help shape priorities for who Brown Ranch could serve—as one part of the city’s broader housing strategy.

“This is an opportunity to move beyond headlines and into real conversations—with data, stories, and community input guiding the way,” said Clark Anderson, Executive Director of Community Builders. “It’s not about finding the perfect answer—it’s about finding common ground around what’s possible and what matters to the Steamboat Springs community the most.”

The event will feature findings from the 2025 Housing Market and Demand Study, conducted by Economic & Planning Systems. The data offers a clearer picture of the number of homes needed to address existing gaps in the housing market, as well as the number of homes estimated to be needed to keep up with job growth. Workshop participants will explore key questions such as:

• Who is most impacted by the housing crisis?
• What types of homes are in greatest demand?
• Who would Brown Ranch best serve?

Facilitators will guide community members through a collaborative discussion, encouraging residents to share their lived experiences, reflect on new data, and begin to identify the types of residents and households whose housing needs could be met at Brown Ranch. This second community workshop builds on the initial session held earlier this year, where residents voiced strong support for housing solutions that allow locals—and future generations—to stay and thrive in Steamboat Springs.

“There’s no silver bullet to solve this housing crisis,” said Brad Calvert, Principal Planner with the City of Steamboat Springs. “Brown Ranch is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. This workshop helps us determine if—and how—it fits.”

Free food, childcare with supervised kids’ activities, and Spanish-English interpretation will be provided.

Insights from this workshop will be shared with the Deliberation and Stewardship Team (DST), a group of 40 community members who are meeting monthly to assess the Brown Ranch opportunity and consider paths forward. Information about the project can be found at Brown Ranch Community Solutions Project.