History of the Housing Division

The City of Grand Junction Housing Division was established to help address the community's evolving housing needs through strategic planning, partnerships, and innovative housing programs. Rather than constructing or managing housing directly, the Housing Division works alongside nonprofit organizations, housing authorities, private developers, government agencies, and community partners to expand housing opportunities for residents across the housing continuum.

The Housing Division serves as the City's lead for affordable housing policy, strategic planning, grant administration, housing development partnerships, homelessness initiatives, and public engagement. Its work is guided by data, community input, and collaboration to increase housing choice, improve housing affordability, and support a healthy and resilient community.

Today, the Housing Division oversees a wide range of initiatives, including:

Affordable Housing Incentive Program
Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Production Program
Proposition 123 implementation
Salt Flats redevelopment
Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan
HUD Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program
2026–2030 Consolidated Plan and Annual Action Plan
At Home in GJ landlord partnership program
Rent Smart education
Almost Home Guide
Homelessness planning and regional coordination
Public engagement through Engage GJ

Housing & Houselessness as a City Priority

Grand Junction's 2020 Comprehensive Plan serves as a blueprint for the city, with it's foundation resting on the community's vision for the future. This vision provides guidance for the formulation of goals, strategies, and overall development in Grand Junction including housing and services for the unhoused specifically under Comprehensive Plan Principle 5: Strong Neighborhoods and Housing Choice. The Strategic Outcomes, updated every two years, integrates the priorities identified as most crucial by City Council into the broader framework of city planning and development. Housing and unhoused services were identified in the 2023-2025 City Council Strategic Outcome: Welcoming, Livable, Engaging to ensure that our community fosters a sense of belonging, where people are accepted as themselves and have access to the amenities, services they need to thrive, and actively seeks participation from our community.

Building a Housing Strategy

Grand Valley Housing Needs Assessment & Housing Strategy (2019–2022)

In 2019, the City partnered with Root Policy Research, Mesa County, local housing providers, and community stakeholders to complete the Grand Valley Housing Needs Assessment. The assessment provided the first comprehensive look at local housing conditions, demographic trends, housing affordability, development barriers, and future housing needs throughout the Grand Valley.

The findings informed the City's first comprehensive Housing Strategy, which was adopted by City Council on October 6, 2021, through Resolution 82-21. The strategy established twelve housing strategies focused on expanding housing opportunities, supporting affordable and workforce housing, strengthening partnerships, and reducing barriers to housing development.

Recognizing the importance of ongoing public education, City Council adopted Resolution 96-22 on December 21, 2022, adding a thirteenth strategy focused on community engagement and housing education.

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Housing Strategy Update (2024)

As the Housing Strategy approached the midpoint of implementation, the City completed a comprehensive evaluation to measure progress and determine where adjustments were needed.

Housing tools, state legislation, funding opportunities, and market conditions have changed significantly since the original strategy was adopted in 2021. To ensure the City's housing efforts remain effective, the Housing Division again partnered with Root Policy Research to evaluate housing data, review implementation progress, and gather feedback from housing professionals and community partners.

Based on this work, City Council adopted Resolution 74-24 on October 16, 2024, updating the Housing Strategy with eleven refined strategies that build upon previous accomplishments while introducing new approaches to meeting the community's housing needs.

Many of the updated strategies continue successful initiatives already underway, while others respond to changing housing market conditions, new funding opportunities, and evolving community priorities.

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Housing Needs Assessment & Housing Action Plan (2025–2026)

The Housing Division is currently leading development of a new Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) and Housing Action Plan (HAP) to guide the City's housing policies over the coming years.

Working with Root Policy Research, Mesa County, housing providers, developers, employers, nonprofit organizations, and residents, the City is conducting one of the most comprehensive housing planning efforts ever completed in the Grand Valley.

The planning process includes:

A regional housing market analysis
Demographic and economic trends
Housing affordability analysis
Housing production and development trends
Community and stakeholder surveys
Focus groups representing diverse community perspectives
Public meetings and community engagement
Recommendations for future housing policy and investment

The Housing Needs Assessment provides the data and analysis needed to understand current and future housing needs, while the Housing Action Plan identifies specific strategies, implementation actions, and priorities that will guide the City's work over the next several years.

Once adopted, the Housing Action Plan will serve as the City's primary housing policy document and help inform future decisions related to housing investments, land use, affordable housing programs, state funding opportunities, and implementation of Proposition 123.

Current Status: The Housing Needs Assessment and Housing Action Plan are currently underway, with adoption anticipated following public review and City Council consideration.

Learn more on the Engage GJ Project Page for the Housing Needs Assessment & Housing Action Plan

Unhoused Strategy & Implementation Plan

Housing stability extends beyond housing production. Recognizing the need for a coordinated community response to homelessness, the City partnered with local service providers and stakeholders to develop a community-wide Unhoused Strategy & Implementation Plan.

Building upon research completed through the Unhoused Needs Assessment (UHNA), the strategy identifies actions to address service gaps, strengthen coordination among providers, improve outreach, expand housing resources, and move the community toward the goal of achieving Functional Zero—where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring. It is not intended to be a plan that the City alone is implementing, rather a list or priority actions that the entire community is working towards.

The plan was formally adopted by City Council on July 3, 2024, through Resolution 49-24.

The Housing Division continues to coordinate implementation with nonprofit organizations, behavioral health providers, housing agencies, Mesa County, law enforcement, and regional partners.

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Continuing the Work

The Housing Division continues to evolve as new opportunities, funding sources, and partnerships emerge. By combining data-driven planning, strategic investment, public engagement, and regional collaboration, the Division is helping expand housing opportunities throughout Grand Junction.

Whether supporting affordable homeownership, encouraging new rental housing, preserving existing affordable homes, coordinating homelessness initiatives, or leveraging state and federal resources, the Housing Division remains committed to creating a community where residents at every stage of life have access to safe, attainable, and diverse housing options.

To learn more about current initiatives, explore the project pages throughout this site, or click "Follow Project" to receive updates as new information becomes available.