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SALT LAKE CITY — Advocates for Utahns experiencing or at risk for homelessness are prompting Salt Lake City to mandate the inclusion of deeply affordable housing in the proposed sports and entertainment district.
The call came in an open letter by Crossroads Urban Center executive director Glenn Bailey, addressed to the Salt Lake City Council and Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The proposal made by the Smith Entertainment Group for the sports and entertainment district will be heard by the Salt Lake City Council Tuesday night, along with a public hearing to gather community input.
The center asks that any zoning amendment made to enable increased density in the proposed district around the Delta Center require 10% of the units be affordable to households earning less than $30,000 per year; and an additional 10% be affordable to households earning less than $60,000 per year.
"It is long past time to quit giving our city away to developers without expecting a tangible benefit for our community, especially low- and moderate-income residents struggling to get by each month. Let's set the precedent now that community benefits and inclusion matter before confronting similar decisions regarding the Olympic Games and a new baseball stadium," wrote Bailey.
The proposed zoning changes for the new district could eliminate the current height restriction in the area, of 125 feet, with the potential to increase it to 375 feet. The change could allow for an increased density of housing units, potentially bringing an apartment building from 11 to 34 floors.
"One billion dollars of the financing for development in this district will come from a sales tax increase on purchases made within Salt Lake City. If all taxpayers, including struggling renters, will be helping to finance the creation of this district then it is only fair to demand that some of the housing in it is affordable," the letter continued.
The center points to a recent ordinance passed by the Salt Lake City Council that created a Community Benefit Policy, following the Thriving in Place study commissioned by the city to understand gentrification and displacement. The policy requires a zoning variance request to include housing evaluated with a level of affordability if the additional density is adopted.
The council's action and the proposed development "can either be a model for including mixed-income housing in a mixed-use development or a lesson in why housing affordability concerns get ignored," the letter states.
