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SALT LAKE CITY — Even though he's been living here a month, Jesse Myers still can't believe his apartment at Liberty Village in Sugar House is home.
"I didn’t expect anything like this at all. Regular countertops, maybe, but not granite countertops, not these nice high-end luxury appliances that I’ve never been used to,” said Myers with a laugh.
One thing that took him a while to get used to was all the extra space.
"It was a weird feeling at first, because I could actually sprawl out and not be so confined,” said Myers, looking around his one-bedroom unit.
Then again, if you lived where he did a few months ago, anything would seem spacious.
"I was living out of my car,” said Myers, 31. “It was really tough. I mean, it got cold at night. Also, when you’re in your car parked somewhere, someone might get upset you’re there because they think you’re making it look trashy, so they call the cops, and then the police come and ask you to leave, so you don’t get a very good night’s sleep. Now, I can actually sleep.”
Thursday morning, Salt Lake City mayor Ralph Becker and other city leaders announced their 5,000 Doors plan, addressing the need for affordable housing.
“Housing is not affordable for too many Salt Lake City residents,” said Becker during his press conference.
Liberty Village is part of the 5,000 Doors plan and includes 171 units.
"Affordable housing is a problem here, and we’re trying to address that problem,” said Michael Akerlow, director of Salt Lake City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development team.
“Our gaps analysis identified a shortage for those who are very low income. Those would be our low-wage workers, our elderly, those with disabilities."
Housing is not affordable for too many Salt Lake City residents.
–Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker
The average rent in Salt Lake City is $842 a month, according to Housing and Neighborhood Development. At Liberty Village, the rent is roughly $650 a month including utilities.
Half of the homes available through 5,000 Doors are targeted to families making less than $27,500 per year or individuals making less than $19,000 per year.
“We can help fix this issue. It’s going to require us to move a little harder, to push a little faster and to be more creative in finding solutions,” Akerlow said.
For Myers, he now wants to go back to school and study automobile and collision repair.
He feels he can now devote time to studying without having to worry about where he was going to live.
"It just brings a sense of well-being and worth,” Myers said.
Contributing Winston Armani
