Housing

I've focused on housing, to include landlord/tenant policy, for the past five years. Homeownership is key to a strong middle-class and to the economic well-being of families --it improves fertility and civic involvement. 

For almost a year, I’ve been involved with the Statewide Strategic Housing Plan. Phase One report revealed major concerns about housing availability. For example, on state-owned land at The Point, the initial plan was 840 units for sale and 7,010 for rent. That plan is currently under revision, thanks in part to the report. Cities report providing higher density to builders with a promise of a for sale product, only to have the builder pivot and build for rent product.  Now the Utah Housing Strategic Plan  is ready for your review. This housing flyer gives a more condensed review.

Short-term rentals (STRs) are also part of the housing problem. In 2021, Cottonwood Heights homeowners in our district invited me to meet with them to learn of their concerns with short-term rentals in areas not zoned for rental properties. Some landlords openly advertise that they take long-term rentals, only to turn their units into short-term rentals. This practice is lucrative for the owners but disruptive of our communities, since it creates another pressure point that increases cost and demand for housing by removing it from the marketplace.

Unfortunately, the legislature passed a bill in 2017 that safeguards advertisements of STRs, even when located in areas in cities or towns that have been designated as purely residential. Since 2022, I’ve been working with an expert and sponsored 2024 legislation to provide state guidelines for short-term rentals. While the bill did not pass, I still believe that education and high standards for short-term rental owners are the solutions we need.

As your new mayor, I'd invite this expert to help our council adopt very high standards for a short-term rental license. Those operating now without a license would have a short grace period to come get a license. Some owners may decide our standards are not worth the effort and either convert to long-term rentals or sell their properties. Our city must offer STR licenses that have a high standard. This is the only way to get this business model under control. We can also set limits on how many licenses we offer in certain neighborhoods. I've learned a lot from Julie Davies. She teaches certified education on STR in Utah universities and through the Board of Realtors. She is a nationally respected consultant for lawsuits and would help us avoid litigation.

While Utah's population has been growing, Cottonwood Heights is losing population. Land and homes here are expensive, so as our children grow up and leave, it's difficult for other young families to buy or rent in our city. Sometimes our residents push back when developers propose higher density housing, which is the only way to offer more affordable housing without government subsidies. We need a variety of housing options in our city, both for young families and for residents who want to downsize. Our city could lead community meetings in areas that have land available or where redevelopment could occur to discuss how delays to building add costs and to explore housing options that our communities can support. There are great, creative ideas out there. One that I like is Flex Ready Housing, which was shared with the Commission on Housing Affordability in May, 2025. This is up to 7 small individual homes on one acre, each with 3 bedrooms, 1 1/2 bathrooms, with a cost of about $300,000. Duplexes, townhomes, condos, can all be more affordable options for our housing stock. Our city can also work with owners of empty office buildings, which can be remodeled to become housing, either as condos or apartments. Form based code could make these conversions more simple. We want to add young families to our city to keep our schools open and our city vibrant and thriving, and as we work together and with builders, we can do this.

The Gondola

I have been adamantly opposed to the gondola since it was announced as the preferred choice by UDOT in 2023. I led the Utah House Minority Caucus as we released this statement in opposition to the gondola. Central Wasatch Commission issued Pillars for Transportation in the canyons, which I support. 

People in our community strongly oppose the gondola and are working for commonsense solutions. Non-profits have sponsored research that finds the gondola not be fiscally wise. Currently, litigation complicates the Record of Decision, and UDOT states that they are unable to proceed with any of the phases. 

Take this tour of the impact of 24 steel towers in the 9 mile Little Cottonwood Canyon.