Utah launches new housing division meant to speed up homebuilding

Utah state leaders have launched a new housing division meant to accelerate home building in the state, which has faced persistent housing price increases amid a longstanding housing shortage. 

The new Division of Housing and Community Development, housed within the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, is tasked with consolidating existing and new housing programs under a new division “to better align housing policy, economic development and state investments,” according to a news release issued by Gov. Spencer Cox’s office on Wednesday. 

The new division was created by HB68, passed by the Utah Legislature earlier this year. It will be led by the governor’s senior housing adviser, Steve Waldrip, who will also take on the role of “state housing coordinator.” 

“Housing is foundational to opportunity,” Cox said in a prepared statement. “If young families, teachers, first responders and the people who keep our economy running can’t afford to live in the communities they serve, our long-term prosperity is at risk. This new division will help us better align state resources, local partnerships and private-sector innovation so we can build more homes, strengthen our neighborhoods and keep the Utah dream within reach for the next generation.”

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The governor has said tackling Utah’s housing affordability crisis by increasing the supply of more affordable “starter” homes is a No. 1 priority for his administration. 

In 2024, he set an ambitious goal for the state to see 35,000 more starter homes built by 2028, but progress has been slow. According to the state’s dashboard created to track housing starts, about 6,861 have been built, with most (3,650) concentrated in Utah County. 

The new housing division is intended to “strengthen coordination among state agencies, local governments, and private-sector partners as Utah works to expand housing opportunities statewide,” the governor’s office said. 

As the new state housing coordinator, Waldrip is tasked with overseeing Utah’s statewide housing strategy, coordinating housing programs and investments, and helping ensure state housing initiatives align with broader economic and community development goals as outlined in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development’s Utah Elevated economic development plan.

“Housing and economic opportunity are inseparable,” Waldrip said. “By bringing housing policy, programs, and investments together under one roof, we can better support communities across Utah as they address local housing needs and advance the governor’s ambitious goals, including the governor’s goal of facilitating the construction of 35,000 starter homes for Utah families.”

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The new division will administer housing funds and programs, including the Olene Walker Housing Loan Fund and the Economic Revitalization and Investment Fund. It is also tasked with supporting cities and counties through housing planning, technical assistance, and reporting on moderate-income housing.

The new division will also help implement new housing initiatives recently approved by the Utah Legislature, including a $100 million fund (created by HB429) meant to help finance infrastructure needed for housing developments. 

“Utah’s continued economic success depends on our ability to ensure housing opportunities keep pace with our momentum,” said Jefferson Moss, commissioner of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “Aligning housing and community development efforts within GOED will strengthen coordination across state government and help communities make strategic investments that support both economic prosperity and long-term quality of life.”