How an affordable housing property in Richfield is serving as a beacon of hope

RICHFIELD — One could easily drive along Richfield's subdued Main Street and assume that many of the problems facing the Beehive State — like affordable housing — are not to be found in this quiet, rural city.

However, that simply isn't the case.

After nearly eight months of uncertainty, an old Motel 6 that has been converted into affordable housing units is both a testament to the notion that the state's most significant issues extend to communities outside of the limelight, and that there is hope in addressing these problems if communities can unite to support its most vulnerable populations.

Zoning and licensing disputes

Now known as Ville 647, the motel has been providing affordable housing for folks in need of a place to stay ever since Keith Warburton, a Salt Lake City-based property manager who buys distressed properties — often old hotels — purchased the old Motel 6 and turned it into an affordable housing unit.

"We buy (a) property that we feel like is going to be suited well for a place that has an extreme housing demand. Richfield has a crazy housing demand," Warburton said. "We looked at the area and said, 'This is a place where we can come and provide our services and people will need it immediately.'"

The only issue?

It had been operating as an extended-stay hotel without a business license.

On top of that, a city zoning ordinance muddied the waters of what a long-term rental should look like.

Richfield Mayor Bryan Burrows told KSL.com in March that the city recognized the ordinance surrounding hotels and long-term rentals needed to be updated after concerns were raised about the number of hotels that were operating as long-term rentals, potentially detracting from tourism dollars that could be brought in by travelers looking to stay in Richfield.

Related:

How this small, rural Utah community issue brings the housing crisis into focus

A new zoning ordinance in Richfield has residents at an extended-stay motel fearing they won't have a roof over their heads. The panic is a microcosm of Utah's affordable housing crisis.

The new ordinance, which went into effect in January, states that rooms regularly rented on a weekly or monthly basis exceeding a transient rental term of fewer than 30 days will be considered extended-stay rooms. Hotels are only able to rent up to 25% of total rooms as extended-stay rooms and for only up to 90 days to the same individual, for a total period of 180 days.

"We did a redefinition of what a long-term rental was and we give them a 90-day stay," Burrows said. "The whole idea behind this thing was to get these motels up to code because these rooms aren't designed for (a) long-term stay."

Under the new ordinance, if someone reached their 90-day limit, they wouldn't have the option to move to another extended-stay hotel in Richfield and instead would be forced to seek housing through another avenue.

In addition to the zoning and licensing disputes between Warburton and the city, city leaders raised concerns that the motel wasn't up to code for an extended-stay motel and contained potential fire hazards.

Fear and frustration

Ville 647 is managed by Jason Best and his wife, Ashley Best.

In March, they told KSL.com that they understand why the City Council adopted the new ordinance, but they feel the situation could have been handled better.

"I can understand the basis of how they were going about it, but they went about it wrong," Jason Best said. "I know that they're not responsible to house people, that's people's responsibility, but these are their constituents, these are their citizens and they have a duty to protect their lower end of the community."

After the ordinance was adopted, uncertainty and panic ensued among residents of Ville 647, many of whom feared a perceived threat of eviction.

Northern Nanpuya and his family were moving to the Richfield area for a new job that would have provided him with a house and a car. However, their reality quickly changed when the owner of the company that hired Nanpuya died and the new owner wasn't willing to grant him the benefits provided by the previous owner, he said.

"We lost the house. We lost the car. So, I ended up having to find a place (in an) emergency. They opened the doors here for us," Nanpuya said, as tears welled in his eyes. "If it wasn't for them, I'd be out on the street with my family right now."

Instead, at Ville 647, Nanpuya has found a home and an extension of his family.

"This is a family. Everyone here looks out for each other. When I go to work and I need someone to watch (my son), I have someone here that can watch him. When my wife needs someone or I'm not available to watch my son, there's someone here I can trust," he said.

Even new residents of Ville 647 spoke fondly about the community that they'd found there.

Jerry Keimach is a veteran who moved to Richfield seeking a slower, quieter lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of St. George.

"The managers, Jason and Ashley, they're phenomenal people — it makes it worthwhile living there," Keimach said. "If it wasn't for them — I can't afford apartments, I'm not going to pay two grand a month for a hotel — I'd be sleeping in my car or going from hotel to hotel trying to find the best rate. It's a savior. It's a godsend for me to be able to live in this community."

Moving forward

The panic felt by residents of Ville 647 came to a head during a Richfield City Council meeting in March that featured comments from Warburton, Burrows and many emotional testimonies from residents of Ville 647, speaking to how it has impacted their lives.

After a back-and-forth dialogue between Warburton and Burrows, the two agreed to put the licensing and zoning issues behind them in order to bring Ville 647 into compliance with code, while ensuring the residents can continue living there.

"Let's move forward from here and get this thing resolved because this isn't how we want to live in the community, and it's not how we should be living as human beings," the mayor said.

"Agreed," Warburton said.

"Let's get it resolved, whatever that takes," Burrows said.

This agreement turned out to be more than just a temporary mediation move and last week, the City Council adopted an ordinance to rezone Ville 647 to a high-density, multi-family residential zone through a nearly unanimous vote, with one council member voting in opposition.

"We did pass a zone change allowing for the Ville to convert the motel to apartments," Burrows told the Richfield Reaper. "Now we are just waiting for the Ville to start the upgrades to bring the apartments up to code. I am really not sure how long it will take for them to get started on the upgrades, but the council voted to support the project."

This vote came after Warburton was awarded $1 million to go toward Ville 647 from the $55 million the 2022 Utah Legislature set aside for the Office of Homeless Services affordable housing projects.

The money will fund upgrades at Ville 647 that will ensure the building has the proper safety measures needed for people to live there, including things like kitchenettes, fire suppression and parking.

It will also be used for cosmetic improvements, such as a fence around the property, new landscaping and building renovations as well as a green space or playground of some type.

"Economically, you can't do this another way," Warburton told the Richfield Reaper. "If we were to try to take $1 million and try to build something for this population in Richfield, for a million dollars, we could probably build a four-plex. We'd never be able to make an impact on the amount of need that is there."

Another requirement for the funds is to provide community services, which, according to Richfield City Council meeting minutes, would include mental health and addiction resources, and workforce services to help with job applications.

"The population we serve is for the very deeply affordable," Warburton told the Richfield Reaper. "It tends to be the most vulnerable population of a society. There are people who have really fallen on hard times for one reason or another. We serve all kinds, and the nice thing is that we don't have a background check, we don't do a credit check. We really take on people based on a needs assessment and where that person stands with the county service providers."

According to city records, Warburton and the city are intending for Ville 647 to have 39 studio apartments and a one-bedroom apartment. Ashley Best said residents will be able to sign three-month leases and go from there.

"It's unfortunate people need these kind of services, but I have no doubt that our community will reach out to make it happen," Burrows told the Richfield Reaper.

"It's super exciting," Ashley Best said. "It's awesome."

Now, at long last, the residents of Ville 647 can sleep easily, without fear of losing their housing.

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