Park City has started a recruitment for a housing director, a post that currently does not exist but will be requested in the upcoming City Hall budget talks.
The municipal government is pursuing what it sees as an aggressive program that includes the planned development of units that will be set aside as workforce or otherwise restricted housing. The housing director is envisioned as having a broad role in the overall work plan as officials seek to add significant numbers of units to the overall stock. The posting says the person will be “devoted to creating a complex system of regulations, developments, and partnerships to increase the supply of community and affordable housing opportunities.”
“The Director organizes and leads numerous strategic housing initiatives, negotiates and manages the regulatory tools to help Park City and its partners leverage housing market conditions, and builds the financial models to process and propel affordable community homeownership and rental projects,” it says.
The posting does not highlight any specific housing developments.
Park City leaders over the years have made housing a priority with a series of successes. The work has been a challenge for decades as City Hall and others contend with a scarcity of land that is available for significant housing projects and, in some cases, neighborhood resistance.
The municipal government has long touted the benefits of the housing program, which is designed to assist people who are otherwise priced out of Park City’s resort-driven real estate and rental markets. Leaders see the housing as something that increases socioeconomic diversity and reduces commuter traffic.
It seems likely there will be Park City Council support during the budget talks for the funding needed for the position since housing is such a priority for the elected officials.
City Hall, meanwhile, is also amid a recruitment for a transportation director.