Do I need to read the book BEFORE the first in-person session?

    No, you do not need to read any part of the book the first week. The first in-person session is typically spent getting to know one another, learning terms, and talking about housing in general. If you do want to get started - we generally recommend reading the prologue!

    Book Club Logistics

    Welcome to the Housing Book Club Engagement Site - we are excited you joined us! You can participate in many ways.

    Feel free to join us in our in-person discussions happening at the Mesa County Library. Register Online. You can view the dates and times in the Key Dates Section of this project.

    Several times over the Fall Session we will include a resource list of interesting housing, unhoused, or key information you might find helpful in enriching your knowledge around the topic. We will also let you know of upcoming events or other housing opportunities happening in the community.

    For Online Participants: Feel free to join on a similar reading schedule outlined below, or join the conversation at your own pace! Each chapter/section will have unique questions that you can participate in. You'll find chapter by chapter discussion forums in the "chapter discussions" section. 

    For In-Person Discussion:

    In-person discussion logistics:

    Session 1: Recommended Read: Prologue (No reading necessary)

    • Group Introductions & Agreement
    • Prologue
    • Housing in Grand Junction Overview
    • No guest speaker

    Session 2: Read: Part 1 (Chapters 1-8)

    • Group Discussion Questions: Coming Soon!
    • Guest Speaker: Evictions in Grand Junction, Andrea Rosenberry, Staff Attorney, Colorado Legal Services

    Session 3: Read: Part 2 (Chapters 9-16)

    • Group Discussion Questions: Coming Soon!
    • Guest Speaker: From the Landlord Perspective, Jay Taylor, Property Manager, Western Slope PM

    Session 4: Read: Part 3 (Chapters 17-24)

    • Group Discussion Questions: Coming Soon!
    • Guest Speaker: Lived Experience Panel

    Session 5: Read: Epilogue and "About this Project"

    • Group Discussion Questions: Coming Soon! 
    • Connecting the content to City of Grand Junction
    • What can you do?


    City Housing and Unhoused Updates - Sept 2023

    Want to know whats going on with housing and unhoused in GJ? Check out our Sept 2023 Updates. 

Terms

    What does ADU stand for?

    ADU stands for Accessory Dwelling Unit. Often known as a mother-in-law suite or unit. 

    What is AMI?

    AMI stands for Area Median Income. It is the average income for a given area.

    What is the difference between capital A "Affordable" housing and regular "affordable" housing?

    Capital "A"- Affordable housing is housing that is subsidized in order to make the housing unit accessible.
    Lower case "a" - affordable housing means that an individual is spending 30% or less of their income on housing costs. A person who spends 30% of their income or less on housing is considered as being able to afford their housing. 

    What is attainable housing?

    Attainable housing is often viewed as workforce housing. It is housing that is attainable to those who are in our largest population, the workforce, of which majority of us belong to.