Affordable Housing

High housing costs are cutting into Utahns’ budgets for necessities like food. The Utah Food Bank has seen higher demand than in recent years as households in the state struggle with food insecurity.

The Utah Homes Investment Program, signed into law in March, is designed to encourage developers to build smaller, more affordable homes.

The goal of the programs is to aid renters in navigating their options and to help fund relocation if they’re displaced.

The average number of monthly short-term rental listings in Utah, offered through sites like Airbnb and Vrbo, grew by 39.4% from 2021 to 2023.

The ordinance is designed to encourage housing in areas with more amenities. But advocates say the Ville 3306 project, which would convert a former Days Inn to deeply affordable housing, is well-situated near support services and a school.

In places with some of the harshest winter conditions in the lower 48, people are insulating their houses with straw. The alternative material is a way to lower carbon footprints and is surprisingly resilient.

For gateway and resort communities it’s a tale as old as time: High costs of living make it hard to attract the labor that keeps the wheels turning.

The push to build homes on federal land is gaining momentum. But just because Utah has plenty of public land, that doesn’t mean it’s ripe for development.

It’s a common practice for landlords to require tenants to make at least three times the monthly rent to even be considered for a lease. Landlords say it minimizes risk and lowers the chances they’ll have to evict a tenant for not paying rent.

In expensive Utah resort communities like Ivins and Moab, many workers are priced out of the housing market. That’s why local leadership wants to explore developing a community land trust using ground the state already owns.

While fiscal hawks push for only the bare necessities, others say a balance between current needs and long-term goals is the right approach.

With new zoning rules on the books and more public money available for affordable housing than ever before, Salt Lake City now looks to where those projects fit best.