and that Utah’s capital now has no “more affordable” neighborhoods where moderate wage earners might land, with the problem falling heavily on people of color, families, seniors and students.
The five-year plan centers on boosting housing construction at the most affordable end to meet an identified 5,500-unit gap in deeply affordable homes, on the assumption the strategy will free up homes at higher rents and for-sale prices as well. “We’re going to focus on the people who need it the most and the types of housing that are hardest to build,” saidEven with what City Council chair Darin Mano called the plan’s lofty goals compared to other cities, “it clearly doesn’t solve the problem in five years. ... Even if we make all of these goals, we’re still only accomplishing a third of what’s actually needed.”
But with policy moves such as rent control and inclusionary zoning barred under Utah law, the city instead hopes to expand its ability to assist struggling renters in other ways, including dedicating new money to a pool of relocation assistance funds meant to help those pushed out by new development or rising rents.