By DIANE SCHWENKE
In an op-ed printed on June 7, Ken Scissors noted we have a housing crisis — something I think we can all acknowledge. The timing of his opinion piece was serendipitous as I was just diving into an update by the Common Sense Institute to their Housing Affordability Report that puts some real numbers, illustrating how bad our housing crisis actually is.
For starters, Colorado ranks 50th when compared to 49 other states and the District of Columbia in terms of housing affordability. That is a shocking statistic. And Mesa County is actually faring worse than some other counties in the state. Of the seven Denver metro area counties and the other five largest counties analyzed, Mesa County saw the largest decline in housing affordability for the latter half of 2024 and the first few months of 2025.
As dire as all this news was, there is also a good possibility that it could get worse. For anyone contemplating buying a home in Mesa County here are some of the sobering facts listed in the report:
■ Since March of 2015, housing unaffordability has risen 82.4%
■ Average wages have only increased 39% from January 2015 through October 2024
■ Home prices from January 2015 through March 2025 have more than doubled, rising 111%
■ The number of hours worked to pay a mortgage in our county has risen from 47 hours per month to 100 hours
That same report looked at the need for additional housing units. Using the state demographer’s data, Mesa County is estimated to gain over 7,000 new residents between 2023 and 2028, which will result in the need for an additional 3,000 housing units. In 2023, the county had a deficit of between 3,500 and 7,000 housing units based on the low/high scenarios of units held off the market. The number of residential unit permits needed in Mesa County per year to close the existing gap and accommodate the estimated new growth by 2028 is between 1,650 and 2,550. In 2024, there were 1,014 permits issued, which means we fell even further behind in needed housing stock by between 644 and 1,537 units for the year. More than 98% of funding spent on new residential construction each year comes from the private sector. If we are to make progress on increasing housing inventory, it is clear that we cannot, and should not, rely on government funding. Indeed, a recent example of local townhome construction showed the private sector could deliver a new product to the market at about $375,000, but with government funding, the cost for a similar unit rose to $475,00 due to the red tape and reporting requirements.
While Ken and I agree there is a housing crisis and that we need a collaborative approach that includes participation from homebuilders, lenders, real estate agents and the nonprofit sector, that is where our alignment on the path forward stops.
Adding to the city’s payroll will not significantly change the current trajectory of new housing starts, but on the contrary, would likely prove to have a detrimental effect on an already suffering market. Indeed, the government has consistently added to the costs of housing. The state’s new energy code could add anywhere from $25,000 to $35,000 to the cost of a larger home The City of Grand Junction’s recently adopted development impact fees increased fees 25% to $12,000 assessed on a modest 1,600-square-foot home.
In addition to ongoing collaboration between those who build the homes and those who regulate the process, the City of Grand Junction should:
■ Form a housing affordability committee composed of stakeholders whose sole purpose is to make housing more attainable. Empower that group to identify, recommend, and help implement meaningful reforms within the City of Grand Junction’s policies and procedures.
■ Pause the implementation of any new code amendments that will add to the cost of development until there is further review as to the necessity of such changes
■ Stick to the city’s core functions related to public safety, transportation and utilities and support others in the nonprofit and private sector space in developing affordable housing for low-income and working families alike.
Finally, yes, it is time to update our Comprehensive Plan, but this time around let’s establish clear priorities in terms of what we really need. Then it will be time to roll up our sleeves and figure out how we will meet the community’s needs for housing and pay for it in the future.
Diane Schwenke is the former head of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce. She is currently a governmental affairs consultant to the Grand Junction Realtors Association and Homebuilders of Western Colorado.