MBomis wrote:

Until recently, housing policy discussions rarely included conversations about zoning. However, Utah’s extraordinary demographic and economic growth has brought zoning to the forefront of housing policy discussions. It has become apparent that although zoning restrictions may confer benefits, they also raise housing prices. By changing those policies to make them less restrictive, we can counterbalance the rising prices of Utah’s housing market.

Since 2015, the median sales price of a home in Salt Lake County increased from $269,000 to $405,000, and the monthly mortgage payment on a median-priced home increased from $1,490 to $2,110. This troubling price trajectory can’t be tamped down without a larger supply of high-density housing. Unfortunately, current zoning regulations hamper the possibility of more high-density housing. As it exists now, zoning lags Utah’s market preferences.

The necessary changes are clear: we must push to revise zoning policies. In order to accommodate our state’s needs, our zoning must allow for high-density housing and up-zoning, both of which allow for more people to inhabit a smaller area. As a result, the housing supply would increase, and the average unit price would decrease.