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- New City Plaza reopens for seniors after a three-year renovation project.
- The facility offers deeply affordable housing, prioritizing those earning under 30% of area median income.
- Public-private partnerships funded the $80 million project, addressing Utah's affordable housing deficit.
SALT LAKE CITY — A subsidized housing facility for seniors recently reopened after an extensive renovation, offering modernized units and more affordable housing options to new and current tenants.
New City Plaza recently opened to new tenants aged 62 and older following its nearly three-year-long renovation and modernization project. The new facility is geared toward seniors and qualifies as a "deeply affordable" housing option, meaning it is designed for those who earn 59% of the area median income or less, with priority for those earning under 30%.
Housing Connect — the Salt Lake County housing authority — began construction on the property at 1966 S. 200 East in Salt Lake City in July 2022 and aimed to upgrade 299 units housed in two adjacent 50-year-old buildings that were previously managed separately. Now, both are managed by Housing Connect, and the buildings are joined by a newly constructed one-story building used for the leasing office, resident services and laundry facilities.
"As the housing authority, we have two mandates that are different than most nonprofit providers of housing," said Janice Kimball, Housing Connect CEO. "We provide the housing, but we also have a mandate to work with state and local governments. I'm proud to say that New City Plaza does both. We are meeting our goals, but we're also meeting the goals of our community to provide affordable housing. This housing will serve people at as low as 30 (percent area median income) to zero income, which is not available on the market. So we're excited."
The renovation included redesigning each unit to have an open layout, allowing better space for walkers and wheelchairs than the original layout. Each unit also received new flooring and upgraded appliances and fixtures in the kitchen and bathroom. Of the modernized units, 15 are fully ADA-compliant for residents with disabilities. Amenities were upgraded and now include a puzzle room, a computer area and an outdoor courtyard that contains 25 gardening boxes for residents. The complex also contains two commercial spaces, one of which will be rented to professionals providing medical services.
The updates made to the facility were necessary to prevent losing one of the few affordable community housing options in the area, according to State Homeless Coordinator Wayne Niederhauser.
"We need these units desperately," said Niederhauser. "We have a deficit in this state of over 70,000 units that are in the deeply affordable range. For every 100 households that are 30% and below the area median income, there are three units that they can afford. It's going to take this combined effort, though challenging and complex, but worth it."
Because of the increased need for affordable housing, Housing Connect worked with a large network of community partners to complete the over $80 million project. This includes private funding from Enterprise Community Partners and AGM Financial Services, and public funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Salt Lake County and Salt Lake City.
"I don't think we've ever been party to such a big housing project," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall at the facility's opening event. "We're so glad that it's still here and (for) the modernization that has happened and improvements that have happened for all of the residents. Utah might be the youngest state in the nation — we are — but did you know that by 2060, 1 in 5 Utahns will be over 65 years old? That's a good portion of our population. ... But it's so important, not only that we're building housing for younger families who are just coming into the housing market, but so that all of us can age in the communities that we have helped to grow and choose to live in."
Salt Lake City contributed $900,000 in funding through the city Redevelopment Agency and waived $1.3 million in fees for the renovation project, according to Mendenhall. This contribution was made as part of the city's Housing SLC plan to make Salt Lake City more affordable and prioritize those at risk of experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness.
Salt Lake County allocated around $400,000 of funds from the county HOME program for the renovation and distributed a combined $3 million from local COVID-19 recovery funding and national American Rescue Plan funding, according to Mayor Jenny Wilson.
"I'll tell you that these deals to actually come up with the funding to make this type of change are very complex, and they require a public-private partnership," said Wilson, thanking the private and public partners that contributed. "We often see the same people and the same groups who are participating ... it really is incredible that we figure this out because, unlike building a new home or renovating a home, you're really needing to rely on so many different revenue streams."
Applications to live at the renovated facility are now open and can be completed on the Housing Connect website.
