Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall ran her campaign on a series of topics ranging from air quality to homelessness. During her inauguration, Mendenhall promised to unify Salt Lake City residents around common goals and ideals. While vocal leadership will certainly constitute a portion of Mendenhall’s success, her policies will decide more tangible changes in the community. Affordable housing is an issue that is becoming more problematic for Salt Lake City’s people; thus, Mayor Mendenhall has created a plan to grow the city’s affordable housing stock.
Any affordable housing policy for Salt Lake City must address the steadily rising cost of shelter, which is due, in large part, to shrinking land availability and the growing population of the city. Tackling affordable housing is vital, not only to minimize economic stress on low-income families but also to foster greater diversity within Salt Lake City (minorities represent just 15% of Salt Lake City’s East Bench population). Diversity and housing costs are intertwined because of the large income disparity that exists between white households and minority households.
“Expand the City’s Supply of Safe and Affordable Housing”
Mayor Mendenhall’s plan begins by expanding the public-private partnership program with the Redevelopment Agency to incentivize the construction of more affordable housing. As the population increases and housing stock diminishes, home values will inevitably skyrocket. Increasing the number of housing units is an attempt to combat this phenomenon. The Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency (SLCRDA) works to develop communities that will boost the economy, increase livability, and promote “authentic communities.” These priorities allow the SLCRDA to build sustainable communities that fit into existing neighborhoods, which is vital to the successful implementation of any affordable housing policy. For more information on the Redevelopment Agency, click here.
Next, Mendenhall will look to preserve the already existing affordable housing stock by providing low-interest loans, which would go towards building maintenance. By providing landlords with funding to maintain their buildings, the cost of rent can remain at an affordable level for low-income households. This is fundamental in addressing the housing issue because it allows renters to remain in their current home, rather than being forced out by exorbitant pricing. The increasing property values in Salt Lake City have led to this issue, which will only continue as the city’s population rises.
The cost of new developing affordable housing is often dictated by zoning law; thus, Mendenhall plans on improving city-wide zoning codes to lower the costs of new developments. An example of a potential zoning code reform would be lowering the number of required parking structures that a developer must build. The idea is that by reducing the initial costs for private developers, affordable rent becomes more plausible. The success of Mendenhall’s affordable housing policy is contingent on attracting private developers, which makes zoning reform the most important portion of Mendenhall’s plan.
Salt Lake City is the capital of one of the fastest-growing states in the country, therefore, leadership that can promote sustainable development is of the utmost importance. The city’s newly elected mayor, Erin Mendenhall, has made it clear that she will shepherd in this growth by unifying her constituents and producing environmentally friendly reform. Affordable housing is arguably the most effective way to stem diversity within any community, which is why these policy decisions are so significant. There is no way to accurately predict the future success of Mayor Mendenhall or her policies, but her prioritization of the community as a whole is undoubtedly a good sign.
If you would like to learn more about Mayor Mendenhall’s policy plans to grow Salt Lake City’s affordable housing stock, you can read her proposal here.