SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — On the streets of Salt Lake City, it is rare to find someone who says housing is affordable.
“It’s really expensive. Really expensive,” emphasized Utah resident Daniel Zamora.
Steven Phillips, who has experience in buying homes, said he is taking a break from buying more investments for now.
“Costs are high. Interests rates are high,” said Phillips. “That’s keeping me from buying more at this point.
The lack of inventory in the housing market is leading toward high prices, according to researchers. When the Governor’s Office learned the state needed to build almost 28,000 homes a year to keep up with housing demand, they knew something had to be done. (KUTV)
The lack of inventory in the housing market is leading toward those high prices, according to researchers. When the Governor’s Office learned the state needed to build almost 28,000 homes a year to keep up with housing demand, they knew something had to be done.
Steve Waldrip, who leads the State Housing Strategy and Innovation, is aware of the struggles.
“The basic issue is we have a problem right now,” said Waldrip. “I think everyone is aware of the fact we’ve got an issue, and if we don’t change what we do, we will not change the outcomes that we are in right now.”
Work on the state strategic housing plan got underway last year and now that plan is being finalized. Lawmakers will consider the policy blueprint to combat housing struggles starting in the next legislative session, which begins in January 2026.
Starting with goals and brainstorming ways to measure progress, Waldrip and a collaboration of leaders across Utah put together a living document. This document will develop over time as the state meets goals or it needs adjustment.
The team who put the plan together discovered some potential solutions along the way. Waldrip explained that the team had tremendous engagement in developing the plan calling it “very detailed and action oriented.”
“I think what’s come to the forefront is the reality that we have an opportunity with state-owned land,” he said. “This is non-productive land. It’s not parks, it’s not anything. They’re dirt lots that we drive by a hundred times nad never notice because they’ve been there for 15 or 20 years.”
Now that the draft of the plan is complete, it is open to public comment. Waldrip said anyone can go online and type in their comments, which the team is actively tracking. He added that the feedback is also a way to see how the public perceives the housing shortage.
Back out on the streets of Utah, some solutions first came to mind from those we spoke to.
“Raise pay so everything can be more affordable,” Zamora said. He elaborated that the cost of everything is going up, from buying food to paying rent. Budgeting is becoming more and more of a challenge.
For Phillips, he said more assistance could be provided for buyers to get their foot in the door.
“In the past they had city down payment assistance programs and that’s how I probably got started buying homes years and years ago. A lot of those have gone away,” Phillips said. “So if that was available again, we could open up some doors for people.”
After the comment period, the plan will be finalized and presented to the Utah State Legislature.
To add your comment on the plan, you can access the form here.
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