Colorado’s resort towns can be expensive, to the point that the people who make mountain life possible may not be able to live where they work. Enter Rural Homes Colorado, a nonprofit developer teaming up with local organizations to provide essential workers, like schoolteachers and ski resort staff, with housing they can afford.
In just two and a half years, Rural Homes has built and sold 59 residences, with more than 100 on the horizon for 2026 and 2027. Priced around $375,000, these homes are a bargain compared with the state average of $540,000—and a downright steal next to mountain towns like Aspen, where the median price nears $3.5 million. The secret? Partnering with companies like Buena Vista-based Fading West to build homes efficiently in modular pieces, keeping costs low without cutting corners.
Owning a home isn’t just about saving on rent. It’s about putting down roots. “Our ideal buyer is someone who is, or wants to be, invested in a community but faces the barrier of affordable housing,” says Sheamus Croke, operations and outreach manager. When people have a stable home, they’re more likely to pitch in on long-term projects that keep towns thriving, like accessible childcare.
Rural Homes is helping there, too. By building family childcare homes—including two new locations in Ouray County—they’re giving working parents an alternative to daycare. With family childcare homes, kids can spend time in an environment that feels like home because, well, it is one. Thanks to small group sizes, they can get more attention from caregivers, too. It’s all part of creating communities that can grow and support the people who live in them.
One of Rural Homes’ clients, Josh Fix, tells his story. “I had a dream of living in the San Juans, and as an educator, that meant worrying about housing,” he says. “Realistically, there wasn’t anything on the market I could afford, but the realtor mentioned that Rural Homes still had a unit or two available.” After contacting Rural Homes, Josh was approved for one of their units within three weeks.
“Now I live on the river path,” Josh says, “and it is a five-minute bike ride to the Ouray School where I work. I have housing security in a community that has opened its arms to me. To say Rural Homes has positively impacted my life would be an understatement.”
Want to make a difference? Reach out to info@ruralhomes.co to see how you can support the mission.
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