Mesa County approves regional affordable housing agreement
The Board of County Commissioners approved an intergovernmental agreement June 16 that allows Mesa County, the City of Grand Junction, the City of Fruita and the Town of Palisade to work together to meet affordable housing goals established under Colorado's Proposition 123.
Proposition 123 created a statewide affordable housing fund that provides grants and other funding opportunities to local governments. To remain eligible for that funding, participating communities must demonstrate progress toward affordable housing commitments established by the state. Those commitments can be met through the construction of new affordable housing units, as well as the preservation or rehabilitation of existing units.
The agreement allows local governments within Mesa County to share affordable housing unit credits when one jurisdiction exceeds its target.
For example, the City of Grand Junction expects to surpass its affordable housing target. Under the agreement, some of those unit credits may be attributed to Mesa County, Fruita or Palisade if needed. This regional approach gives participating communities additional flexibility to meet state affordable housing goals.
According to Community Development Director Greg Moberg, Mesa County's three-year affordable housing commitment is 253 units. Because Mesa County does not directly develop housing, the agreement provides flexibility by allowing jurisdictions that exceed their targets to share credits with other participating communities. The state also allows qualifying rehabilitation and preservation projects to count toward affordable housing commitments.
The agreement does not create new housing requirements, change local land-use regulations or commit additional county funding. Instead, it establishes a framework for regional cooperation among participating jurisdictions. The goal is to help communities across the Grand Valley work together to support affordable housing opportunities and access state housing resources.
