Housing Efforts


Housing Efforts:

Year after year housing in Grand County has become increasingly unattainable for local residents. The following list summarizes past and current programs or efforts the County has implemented to help alleviate this stress for our residents and seasonal employees.

  1. Increasing opportunities for Multifamily apartment buildings in Grand County -- Currently, there are very limited areas where multifamily developments are allowed to exist. As a response to this and the need to provide a variety of housing types for a variety of income levels, the County is developing a Future Land Use Plan, which will identify areas where increased density would be appropriate, such as near the City core and other emerging commercial nodes. This Plan will generate a Future Land Use Map, which will help to guide decision makers as rezone requests are made to change zoning designations from lower density to higher density. Four public workshops have been held to date, with one more planned for June 7th - check the Future Land Use Planning page to find preliminary workshop results, draft Future Land Use Map scenarios, and to participate in the process online.
  2. Alternative Dwelling Overlay -- The Alternative Dwelling Ordinance was approved in late 2022 and is a pilot program for permitting Alternative Dwelling Communities/Long-Term Camp Parks as a Special Purpose Overlay District. The ADO District provides a sanitary, regulated, and environmentally responsible living situation for the local workforce who choose to live in their RV’s, Trailers, or other types of Alternative Dwellings throughout the Moab Valley. The ADO District standards ensure that Alternative Dwelling developments are designed in a manner that addresses the impacts and the increased service needs they generate while also providing much needed designated workforce housing, which in turn, supports local businesses and the local economy. Please review the following resources and the instructions provided if applying.
  3. The Local Workforce Housing Nexus Study -- A study currently being conducted by BAE Urban Economics, a consultant firm the County has contracted in the past for a housing study in 2018, which provided the basis for the Assured Housing Ordinance. The update to the 2018 study will provide the data we need to develop policies that will ultimately encourage and increase the availability of housing for local residents. It will also provide a feasibility analysis for incentive based initiatives the County is interested in pursuing in order to increase housing opportunities across the entire continuum of housing affordability. The County is currently in the phase of reaching out to stakeholders and the developer community to gather information on barriers to home construction and marketability and solutions to provide local worker housing. Click here to get updates on this effort and future workshops.
  4. The High Density Housing Overlay District (HDHO) -- To date the Commission has approved ten HDHO developments' final plat, totally 353 housing units, and of those, 286 are deed restricted for Actively Employed Households. The HDHO was a pilot program which has since closed. As more HDHO units are built to completion and put on the market, the County P&Z Department is monitoring those units to better understand the program's successes and failures.
  5. Moab Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) -- Grand County provides financial support for MACLT, by funding a full-time paid position to operate and manage the Land Trust. Currently, MACLT owns the ground where the Arroyo Crossing subdivision is being built. At least 50% of the homes in the Arroyo Crossing Subdivision are restricted for ownership by medium to low income residents.
  6. Moab Area Housing Task Force (MAHTF) -- Grand County Planning & Zoning staff are members of this voluntary body of community members that lobbies for fair housing opportunities for every resident of the Moab area. The MAHTF is currently drafting an update to the 2017 Moab Area Affordable Housing Plan. The MAHTF also hosted a three-part Housing Series this winter and spring to educate members of the community about the important and exciting updates that have been occurring on the housing front within the past couple of years. These fairs covered recent policy updates, resources for families, renters, prospective homeowners, and current homeowners, and those looking to build ADUs on their property. More information can be found at www.moabhousing.com.
  7. Housing Market Research -- Periodically, Planning & Zoning staff conduct housing market "snapshot" research, identifying the quantity and price of all homes for rent or sale in the Moab area on a given day. The most recent Housing Continuum Market Snapshot was conducted on May 25, 2023, and is shown below. Previous snapshots are available to the right.


Housing Efforts:

Year after year housing in Grand County has become increasingly unattainable for local residents. The following list summarizes past and current programs or efforts the County has implemented to help alleviate this stress for our residents and seasonal employees.

  1. Increasing opportunities for Multifamily apartment buildings in Grand County -- Currently, there are very limited areas where multifamily developments are allowed to exist. As a response to this and the need to provide a variety of housing types for a variety of income levels, the County is developing a Future Land Use Plan, which will identify areas where increased density would be appropriate, such as near the City core and other emerging commercial nodes. This Plan will generate a Future Land Use Map, which will help to guide decision makers as rezone requests are made to change zoning designations from lower density to higher density. Four public workshops have been held to date, with one more planned for June 7th - check the Future Land Use Planning page to find preliminary workshop results, draft Future Land Use Map scenarios, and to participate in the process online.
  2. Alternative Dwelling Overlay -- The Alternative Dwelling Ordinance was approved in late 2022 and is a pilot program for permitting Alternative Dwelling Communities/Long-Term Camp Parks as a Special Purpose Overlay District. The ADO District provides a sanitary, regulated, and environmentally responsible living situation for the local workforce who choose to live in their RV’s, Trailers, or other types of Alternative Dwellings throughout the Moab Valley. The ADO District standards ensure that Alternative Dwelling developments are designed in a manner that addresses the impacts and the increased service needs they generate while also providing much needed designated workforce housing, which in turn, supports local businesses and the local economy. Please review the following resources and the instructions provided if applying.
  3. The Local Workforce Housing Nexus Study -- A study currently being conducted by BAE Urban Economics, a consultant firm the County has contracted in the past for a housing study in 2018, which provided the basis for the Assured Housing Ordinance. The update to the 2018 study will provide the data we need to develop policies that will ultimately encourage and increase the availability of housing for local residents. It will also provide a feasibility analysis for incentive based initiatives the County is interested in pursuing in order to increase housing opportunities across the entire continuum of housing affordability. The County is currently in the phase of reaching out to stakeholders and the developer community to gather information on barriers to home construction and marketability and solutions to provide local worker housing. Click here to get updates on this effort and future workshops.
  4. The High Density Housing Overlay District (HDHO) -- To date the Commission has approved ten HDHO developments' final plat, totally 353 housing units, and of those, 286 are deed restricted for Actively Employed Households. The HDHO was a pilot program which has since closed. As more HDHO units are built to completion and put on the market, the County P&Z Department is monitoring those units to better understand the program's successes and failures.
  5. Moab Area Community Land Trust (MACLT) -- Grand County provides financial support for MACLT, by funding a full-time paid position to operate and manage the Land Trust. Currently, MACLT owns the ground where the Arroyo Crossing subdivision is being built. At least 50% of the homes in the Arroyo Crossing Subdivision are restricted for ownership by medium to low income residents.
  6. Moab Area Housing Task Force (MAHTF) -- Grand County Planning & Zoning staff are members of this voluntary body of community members that lobbies for fair housing opportunities for every resident of the Moab area. The MAHTF is currently drafting an update to the 2017 Moab Area Affordable Housing Plan. The MAHTF also hosted a three-part Housing Series this winter and spring to educate members of the community about the important and exciting updates that have been occurring on the housing front within the past couple of years. These fairs covered recent policy updates, resources for families, renters, prospective homeowners, and current homeowners, and those looking to build ADUs on their property. More information can be found at www.moabhousing.com.
  7. Housing Market Research -- Periodically, Planning & Zoning staff conduct housing market "snapshot" research, identifying the quantity and price of all homes for rent or sale in the Moab area on a given day. The most recent Housing Continuum Market Snapshot was conducted on May 25, 2023, and is shown below. Previous snapshots are available to the right.

  • This survey is intended to be completed by businesses and employers in the Moab area as part of the County's efforts to address the current housing crisis. 

    Take Survey