Summit County officials signaled strong support for creating a housing authority, though the size of the program is still undecided.
Economic Development and Housing Director Jeff Jones will move forward with a program designed to improve data collection and create new tools to benefit the community as the need for housing persists. The County Council last week favored pursuing the concept independent of the Park City Council after joint efforts stalled earlier this year.
A housing authority is a quasi-governmental body that can coordinate a collaborative, strategic response to development. It has the ability to promote housing through partnerships or build its own residences.
Jones pitched a dashboard with local metrics such as a count of residences and what developments have pulled building permits to help residents and officials track housing data. He said this would help inform processes and determine where the biggest needs are.
The county could also create an employer-assisted housing program to help employees find residences or receive help with rent. It could also influence where affordable housing is located or methods of recruiting and retaining workers.
However, the current proposal doesn’t include the actual construction of affordable units. Some council members had reservations about what they’d be getting for the cost.
County Councilor Chris Robinson referred to the concept as “housing authority lite.”
Officials allocated $500,000 during the previous budget cycle to create the regional housing authority. Jones wants to use a portion of those funds on an ongoing basis to develop the first stages of the dashboard. He couldn’t say how much he needed at the meeting, though it would be much smaller than the total amount. He plans to return to the County Council with a formal budget.
Jones said the key to construction will be public-private partnerships.
County Councilor Canice Harte agreed. He said the housing authority is an excellent tool to get started and “put a dent” in the housing shortage.
Other options Jones proposed include: establishing a financial incentive program to offset the cost of developer fees and permits particularly in eastern Summit County; making a predesigned accessory dwelling unit program to assist with approval; creating a housing supply committee tasked with guiding site design, conservation or construction management to the future Summit County Housing Authority Board; and developing a grant writing program to pursue additional support.
Vice Chair Tonja Hanson also supported creating a housing authority because the County Council doesn’t have the time or expertise to dig into the issue fully, and officials need more support.
“I think the county has been very passive in the whole affordable housing development. We’ve been waiting for developers to come our way and to create a partnership but we haven’t been assertive,” she said.
The County Council is required to adopt a resolution creating the Summit County Housing Authority before it can officially form.
Utah Code requires no less than five and no more than seven people to be appointed as commissioners of a housing authority. It’s likely a county councilor would be selected as well as other community stakeholders, experts and residents.