Category Archives: Housing
Cache County Housing Crisis Task Force Findings
Rising housing prices have been one of the most challenging problems faced by Planners in Utah.
What Happens When Wall Street Buys Most of the Homes on Your Block
Across the Bradfield Farms subdivision, 50 percent of the homes that sold in 2021 and 2022 were bought by large investors who paid in cash, as first-time buyers struggled to get a foothold.
Idaho tops states with highest housing price growth, but Utah not far behind
When comparing housing price growth over the past decade, Idaho is the No. 1 state in the nation to see the highest increase in home prices. Other growing states in the West that also saw home prices jump particularly fast during the pandemic housing frenzy also top the list, with Utah coming in close behind in fourth place.
LOCALS CAN’T DO IT ALONE
Jerusalem Demsas has become perhaps my favorite observer of the topic of housing affordability and zoning reform, and she did it again with a great, insightful piece in the upcoming summer Atlantic magazine, writing about Colorado’s recent experience
‘Granny flats’ play surprising role in easing California’s housing woes
State and local policies have made accessory dwelling units easier to build in recent years, and homeowners are signing up in droves. By Erica Werner, published in The Washington Post
Nuclear Meltdown
Meet the man who built a multigenerational house. Matt Taylor designed a home that could theoretically house three nuclear units under one roof.
U.S. Housing Market Is Nearly 4 Million Homes Short of Buyer Demand
Freddie Mac says gap has widened significantly in past two years as builders struggle to keep up
Housing in the West – Growing Pains
House prices in small and midsized cities are rising rapidly in America’s Mountain West. Average home values in Colorado Springs rose by 15% between February 2020 and February 2021; prices in Bozeman, Montana, increased by nearly 20% (see chart). In Boise, Idaho house prices are up by 28%, the biggest increase among the 900 metro areas tracked by Zillow, an online listings platform.
President’s Infrastructure Proposal Includes Addressing Housing Affordability
On Wednesday, President Biden announced and outlined the next priority on his legislative agenda: a climate-centered infrastructure bill. At $2 trillion-plus, the American Jobs Plan is a far-reaching proposal to modernize and transform the built environment and infrastructure of the United States. The scope of it is impressive. The plan would, if passed, provided a […]
The Cure for the Wasatch Front’s Housing Crisis: More Affordable Homes Between North Salt Lake and Lehi
Critics will say that my proposal will drive up the costs of single-family detached and multi-family homes because I am limiting supply. I agree, initially, the price of these will rise, but I believe that it will slow and flatten.
There is no such thing as ‘smart sprawl’
What is interesting about the “smart sprawl” idea is how little empirical evidence underlies it.
State and Local Governments Must Further Address Housing Affordability
Utah has become an increasingly desirable place to relocate, especially among those stuck quarantined in coastal states with the highest cost of living in the country.
