Accessible Housing

Housing for our children

Utah has its own distinct culture and history, which cannot be found anywhere else on planet earth. Because of our unique culture, outsiders often look down on and belittle our State while not realizing Utah also possesses one of the fastest growing and most dynamic economies in the entire nation. Regardless of what others may imagine, Salt Lake City is one of the most important cities in the entire Western United Sates and Holladay is one of Utah’s most important cultural hubs. Holladay’s booming downtown, for example, houses a dynamic music and art scene dotted with the finest restaurants in our State—all of which are surrounded by walkable streets, accessible parks, and stunning views of Mount Olympus. 

While the city of Holladay is a dynamic and vibrant cultural center, our deserved successes have also caused local land prices to skyrocket. As result, many of our own children—many of whom were born and raised in Holladay—can no longer afford to live in the city they grew up in.  A city in which only the super wealthy can afford to live tears at our shared social fabric and undermines the vibrant culture and art scene that made Holladay a desirable place to live in the first place. If elected, I will tackle this problem head on, first by working with my fellow council members to build a stock of accessible housing units via voluntary development agreements with developers. Second, I will create private -public partnerships incentivizing weatherization and upgraded insulation packages of existing housing stock, which will create jobs for our citizens while also placing, on average, over $700 a year back into the pockets of average homeowners. Accessible housing is, unfortunately, also a regional problem that cannot be solved solely by the Holladay City Council alone.  The interconnected nature of our own state requires our city to work hand in hand with our neighboring sister cities. If elected I will work collectively with the leaders of our surrounding sister cities to lower housing costs throughout our region by forging shared accessible housing pools.

Unlike some politicians who offer little more than staged photo ops, my thirty-five years of experience working in the architecture and design profession will bring a desperately needed skill set to the Holladay City Council.  While I admire, respect, and honor the work of those who came before me, it is notable that not one single member of the current city council or the planning commission has ever once worked inside the architecture and design profession. If elected, I will l bring a much-needed skill set to the city council and will work tirelessly to ensure the City of Holladay confront our accessible housing crisis, so we remain a shining city on the hill serving as an example of the very best Utah has to offer the outside world.

COLLABORATION, AT BOTH THE LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL, BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE AGENCIES, IS KEY TO SOLVING OUR ACCESSIBLE HOUSING CRISIS.