Both are elusive creatures that everyone talks about, but few, if any, have seen. Even so, the State Legislature is putting more pressure on cities to find housing affordability solutions. On top of that, the Governor is calling on cities to create 35,000 “starter” homes for first-time home buyers.
In response, Mayor Hart created an Affordable Housing Task Force. The goal is to find solutions that “fit” Ivins, rather than the cookie-cutter approach the State is using.
City Council member Sharon Gillespie chairs the nine-member Task Force. The group includes residents, council members, planning commission members, specialists in architecture and legal issues, and city staff.
They had their first meeting at the end of February and a second meeting last Thursday. They are studying new legislation, the use of land trusts, the feasibility of creating a housing authority to manage deed restrictions, modular housing, and other ideas.
Sharon told me the Task force focuses on “controlling the controllables. We know we can’t control the cost of land, building, and interest rates. But we may be able to positively impact costs using Land Trusts, smaller lot zoning, alternative building methods, and other options.”
The Task Force plans to meet about once a month. Their next step is to figure out realistic solutions that will work in Ivins. That’s not as easy as it sounds. As Sharon pointed out, “We don’t own land, can’t dictate what a developer builds, and don’t control costs. We can help with zoning for smaller lots and need to look at that to see how and where that could fit in Ivins.”
Sharon knows there is community concern over higher density. She was a volunteer in the General Plan Resident Survey. But the State is putting pressure on cities to increase density, weaken development and design requirements, and more. So, she and the Task Force members are looking for solutions that fit our vision for Ivins.
I will keep you posted on what the Task Force is working on. Or find out directly and share your ideas with Sharon. Her email is Sgillespie@IvinsUtah.gov.