Advocates hope 2 bills will help improve Utah's housing affordability

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's legislative session is over, and housing advocates are now looking at what lawmakers did to help people get into homes of their own.

"I think there was a lot of momentum around the housing conversation," said Lauren Cole, policy manager at Wasatch Advocates for Livable Communities.

Cole said she's especially pleased with SB284, which requires cities with at least 5,000 people to permit detached accessory dwelling units — basically a backyard cottage — subject to policies the city puts in place.

Cities that don't have a policy regarding those units have to implement one by October, according to the bill.

"It allows property owners to allow for more housing choices in their community," Cole said. "This is great for folks who seek to age in place, folks who want to supplement their income."

The bill sponsor, Sen. Lincoln Fillmore, R-South Jordan, said accessory dwelling units — often called ADUs — are an "important piece of the puzzle" in addressing Utah's housing affordability concerns.

"Many Utah cities have already taken steps to allow ADUs, but others have not, which leaves a handful of communities carrying the burden," Fillmore told KSL in a statement. "This legislation simply ensures that larger cities all take part in creating thoughtful ADU policies that can expand housing opportunities while maintaining local standards."

The Utah League of Cities and Towns also supported the proposal, which both the Senate and House of Representatives passed with bipartisan support.

"We've seen around the country and in Utah that detached ADUs are an effective tool to improve the availability of housing," said Cam Diehl, the organization's executive director.

Another bill, HB492, which passed this session, aims to unlock state money to help cities pay for infrastructure – like water, sewer, and roads – for new housing projects.

"Infrastructure is a good start," said Cole, adding that her group will watch to see if that bill leads to more starter homes like it's designed to.

But Diehl believes that bill will have a "huge impact on the availability of housing, in particular for owner-occupied starter homes."

HB492, he added, will help "pay for regional infrastructure projects that in turn will unlock and facilitate housing units that are already planned for but are stuck due to the infrastructure shortcomings."

House and Senate leaders also set aside an additional $10 million for the state's first-time homebuyer program, which gives Utahns up to $20,000 for a down payment, closing costs or to buy down the interest rate.

The median sales price for all housing types in Utah – including single-family, townhomes, and condos – was $508,000 in February, according to the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.

Several other housing bills did not pass this session, like one that aimed to get cities to say yes to building smaller homes than zoning regulations allow.

Other proposals addressed the relationship between tenants and landlords, but they did not advance.

Gov. Spencer Cox is now reviewing the bills that passed during the session and deciding whether to sign or veto them.

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