Housing

Middle Housing Study Part II: What is the Middle Housing, and Where is It?

Written by: Shawn Teigen

MIDDLE HOUSING STUDY Check out the other sections of the Middle Housing Study. Links will become live as reports are published Executive summary Part I: The Scope of the Challenge Part II: What is the Middle Housing, and Where is It? Part III: Utahns’ Development Preferences Part IV: Obstacles and Opportunities Middle Housing Project Page “Missing Middle Housing” refers to housing that occupies the “middle” ground between single-family homes on large lots and large apartment … Continued

Middle Housing Study Part I: The Scope of the Challenge

Written by: Shawn Teigen

MIDDLE HOUSING STUDY Check out the other sections of the Middle Housing Study. Links will become live as reports are published Executive summary Part I: The Scope of the Challenge Part II: What is the Middle Housing, and Where is It? Part III: Utahns’ Development Preferences Part IV: Obstacles and Opportunities Middle Housing Project Page The Utah Foundation’s new study, Is the Middle Missing? A Guide to Expanding Options for Utah Homebuyers and Renters, explores … Continued

Utah Priorities 2020 | Utah Priority No. 7: Housing Affordability

Written by: Christopher Collard

Part I: Priorities Survey Reveals Divergent Housing Affordability Concerns by Age, Political Viewpoint, Ethnicity Utah Foundation had asked about housing prices in its 2008, 2010 and 2012 Utah Priorities Project surveys but housing had never been one of the top 10 issues. However, housing affordability was the second most important issue to Utah voters in early 2020. With the emergence of the coronavirus, concerns about housing affordability dropped to 7th – with just under one-third … Continued

Utah Rising – Initiatives for a Broad & Rapid Economic Revival

Written by: Staff

At the onset of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and resultant economic downturn, the Utah Foundation worked with the Finance Committee of the Utah Economic Response Task Force to brainstorm and develop ideas with the potential to aid the economic rebound of the state. This menu of ideas includes some ideas that are well-developed and others in preliminary stages. Some are short-term approaches while others look further onto the horizon. While many of the ideas require … Continued

Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal Sustainability and Quality of Life in Utah

Written by: Sam Brucker

Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal Sustainability and Quality of Life in Utah explores the fiscal challenges that accompany growth, both in the short-term and in the long-term. The report also draws from Utah Foundation’s 2018 Quality of Life survey to demonstrate what Utahns value most in their communities, and which issues concern them most. Building from the fiscal challenges and quality of life concerns, the report identifies five strategic categories to … Continued

What’s the View from Your House? Housing Affordability Concerns in Utah

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Housing affordability is an issue of increasing concern to Utahns. For the first time since Utah Foundation initiated its Community Quality of Life Index survey in 2011, the availability of quality affordable housing was the worst-performing factor on the index. In addition, when asked what could most improve respondents’ communities as a place to live, 13% mentioned improving housing affordability, second only to traffic conditions. Interestingly, however, when asked whether their own housing was affordable, … Continued

Utah Foundation Quality of Life Survey: Measuring Utahns’ Perceptions of their Communities, Personal Lives

Written by: Shawn Teigen

In collaboration with Intermountain Healthcare, Utah Foundation occasionally surveys Utahns in an effort to understand how they feel about both their community and their personal quality of life. KEY FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT Despite improvements in the economy, Utahns’ perceptions of their community quality of life has declined since 2013 from a score of 73 to 70. The availability of good jobs is the only aspect on Utah Foundation’s Community Quality of Life Index that … Continued

United Way of Treasure Valley 2017 Community Assessment

Written by: Shawn Teigen

In 2016, the United Way of Treasure Valley retained Utah Foundation to perform a Community Assessment of the United Way’s three-county service area. Work was completed in 2017. The Community Assessment is seen as a foundation to achieve community goals. For the assessment, Utah Foundation analyzed community data as indicators of community success, barriers to reveal hindrances to community success, and opportunities as potential solutions to barriers. To inform the assessment, Utah Foundation held focus groups … Continued

Bringing Air Quality Home: Reducing Residential Emissions

Written by: Christopher Collard

Many Utahns consider air quality an important factor in determining quality of life and would support actions to improve air quality. Oil refineries and other industrial polluters, as well as passenger vehicles, have been the focus of federal, state, and local government regulation, yet there has been little focus in Utah about reducing pollution generated from commercial and residential buildings. Emissions from buildings contribute substantially to Utah’s pollution, particularly during the winter when they produce … Continued

Millennials and Boomers: Housing Preferences (Part III)

Written by: Mallory Bateman

PART III: HOUSING PREFERENCES (see Part I: Demographics, Part II: Finances and Workplace Preferences, and Part IV: Politics and Society) Many headlines and reports in the past several years have highlighted location and housing preferences of Millennials. While Millennial home purchases stalled during the recession and subsequent years, Millennials were the largest share of home buyers in 2014. Since the economy is improving and more Millennials are getting older and forming new households, this trend … Continued