There’s a lot of past tense when people talk about Arriba, Colorado, population 202. (Locals pronounce it “air-uh-buh”– even though it’s spelled like the Spanish cheer.)
“Back in the 1960s, there were gas stations, a grocery store, a hardware store, a smattering of businesses, and the community was vibrant,” said Ben VanderWerf. The 38-year-old only moved to this small Eastern Plains town in 2019, but seems to hold its stories as his own.
“We love it here. It’s peaceful with the four kids that we have. It’s a tight-knit community. Everyone knows each other out here.”
The VanderWerfs’ arrival is the sort of thing that makes economic development officers do a happy dance — especially because of the entrepreneurial spirit they brought with them.
“Small manufacturing is the nirvana for rural economic development,” explained Troy McCue, executive director of the Lincoln County Economic Development Corporation, based in nearby Limon.
McCue spoke inside a tiny home VanderWerf is building in a Quonset hut off a dirt road in Arriba. Sleek air conditioning units whirred to keep the two men cool as the relentless sun roasted everything outside.
Ryan Warner/CPR NewsTroy McCue leads economic development in Lincoln County, Colorado. Aug. 12, 2026.
VanderWerf led a tour of the living room, which includes a fireplace for a different season, then of the generous kitchen, and finally up the stairs to a serviceable bathroom and bedroom.
“These stairs actually fold up to access a basement,” which he proudly demonstrated.
After building a tiny home for his own family, VanderWerf started BHV Adventures to manufacture them for others. He envisions a network of tiny home communities — inspired by the RV park he bought a few blocks away and where his home sits, called “Big Ben’s.”
Ryan Warner/CPR NewsBen VanderWerf, of Arriba, Colo., demonstrates the moveable staircase in a tiny home he’s building. August 12, 2026.
Lincoln County and the state of Colorado believe in Ben
VanderWerf’s ambitious venture has earned support from the state’s Rural Jump-Start Program — the first and only in Lincoln County. It comes with grant money and tax reprieves.
McCue, the economic development chief, sponsored VanderWerf’s application because of its potential to create both jobs and new housing.
Ryan Warner/CPR NewsPrinciples that guide Ben VanderWerf, founder of BHV Adventures in Arriba, Colo. Aug. 12, 2026.
The obstacles to VanderWerf’s and Arriba’s success are formidable. Materials costs for housing and manufacturing are higher because stuff must be shipped here. That makes for a chicken-and-egg proposition when it comes to workforce housing. (BHV Adventures’ models range from $45,000 to $165,000.)
Then there’s the dearth of water.
“Water is king,” said McCue. “That’s why any community in Lincoln County — even Limon with its 2,000 people — is not going to become the next Parker overnight. We don’t have enough water.”
Arriba, according to McCue, has enough water to support a doubling of its population.
“So we’re talking 400. We’re still talking small potatoes.”
Ryan Warner/CPR NewsWelcome to Arriba, Colo., in Lincoln County. Aug. 12, 2026.
But McCue is focused on Arriba’s assets — first and foremost the people who believe in it. He also cited its clean air, lack of traffic, churches, and its schools — even though the loss of population has forced districts here to consolidate.
McCue and VanderWerf hope tiny home manufacturing is the additional ingredient that can put the cheer back in Arriba.
