"Dear Steamboat" exhibit puts human stories behind affordability crisis in Colorado's Yampa Valley

A new immersive exhibit in Steamboat Springs is combining local data with personal stories to explore how the rising cost of living is affecting Coloradans who live and work in the Yampa Valley.

"Dear Steamboat" focuses on affordability issues including housing, wages and childcare, pairing local data with videos, written stories and artwork from residents.

"We wanted to create a way, a place, a forum for people to take the affordability data and affordability stories to be something they can see and participate in," said Loryn Duke, director of Steamboat For All.

Duke said organizers found local residents willing to put a face on the affordability challenges confronting the community.

"We've been able to find community members in Steamboat who are willing to raise their hand and say, 'I will be the face of affordability. I will share my story about how housing or childcare is impacting my ability to live in this amazing valley and my ability to provide the services the valley needs,'" Duke said.

The exhibit is part of Steamboat For All's Storytelling Ambassador program, which encourages community members to share their experiences with decision-makers, employers and neighbors. The stories address issues including housing insecurity, access to childcare and the trade-offs people make to stay in the Yampa Valley or the circumstances that lead them to leave.

"We're at risk of losing those community members if we can't help find solutions for making housing and childcare more affordable," Duke said.

The exhibit incorporates local data on housing, wages and childcare, but organizers say the personal stories are intended to help visitors understand the impact behind the numbers.

"Affordability conversations can become abstract very quickly," Duke said. "Data defines the problem, but stories help people understand why it matters and what is at stake. 'Dear Steamboat' creates a space for our community to share the real stories and lived experiences, so we can act collectively to shape our future."

Duke said keeping workers in the Yampa Valley is central to the issue.

"The workers should be able to live in the community that they provide the services to," she said. "The workers who power the community should have the ability to live and thrive in the community they power."

Steamboat For All says it works to preserve the economic diversity of Routt County through education, advocacy, solutions funding and partnerships.

"Dear Steamboat" opened Oct. 2 at 1306 Lincoln Ave. and runs through Oct. 17. The exhibit is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. weekends.