This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Salt Lake County has had a problem with providing low-cost or reasonable affordable housing. Various solutions have been tried. The motels on State Street and North Temple have been turned into low-cost housing but they have ended up with a bad reputation. Low-cost housing has been built but in some cases they end up without easy access to transportation and full service grocery stores. That essentially ends up putting the residents in a kind of prison or ghetto.
In a Salt Lake City presentation last year, studies indicated that mixed-income housing removed much of the problems that occur with dedicated low-income housing. When there is a varied economic status of residents, there will generally be less crime, drug, alcohol and noise complaints. The Salt Lake City Council seems to have decided to encourage mixed income housing but has not put that decision in an ordinance.
Single-room occupancy (SRO) residences in particular have earned a bad reputation as a magnet for crime and drug problems. The best or worst examples are the low-cost motels on State Street and North Temple that cater to the cheap daily or weekly rates and that have earned a bad reputation with the police. The bad SRO reputation is nationwide. A real, thought-out, reasonable mixed income housing solution would not use SROs.
Palmer Court is an example of what happens when you put individuals in a residential area with others who could encourage drug, alcohol and other problem issues. Palmer Court is the second biggest draw of Salt Lake City Fire Department's medical response teams. Despite screening, residents end up being surrounded by individuals who need support and neighbors without problems to stay off dependencies.
Another problem with SRO, and any reasonable cost housing, is the lack of appropriate parking rules. When a developer was allowed to get a permit to build a large residential facility in the 9th East and 9th South area (without adequate parking), a lawsuit was filed to stop the construction of a facility that would overwhelm the local residents with strange cars parking in front of their houses. Salt Lake City doubled the parking requirements last year for new construction, but many residents believe that there should be a higher parking standard for new buildings. Some residential streets are full of parked cars already and are at maximum occupancy.
The Ivy House, on 1100 East and 200 South, a dormitory-style, 24-unit facility, had regular visits by Salt Lake City police. The call log includes robbery-street strong arm, assault with weapon, sex offense — child fondling and a discharged firearm. Sex offenders were assigned to live at the facility, although the Discovery Hall Child Day Care is across the street. One of the guests stabbed a neighbor on July 5, 2012. In response, the building was voluntarily vacated in November 2012 and has sat continuously vacant now for more than three years.
In July 2013, Salt Lake City Planning Department published an administrative interpretation stating that the building could be converted to SROs by installing private bathrooms in all units. Despite the building's history, Ivy House was allowed to keep its non-conforming 24 units without adequate parking (it has five off-street parking spaces), on a lot that is less than 9,000 square feet. The new owner is attempting to move forward with SRO development. With valid concern, the neighbors have filed an appeal.
Although studies show that mixed-income development resolves many of the problems, Salt Lake City's Planning Department continues to favor SRO development. Since affordable housing is one of the priorities for the City Council, I ask they work with the planning department to eliminate and not create more crime-ridden hell holes.
Marie Taylor is a former Salt Lake City planning commissioner, an advocate for the disabled, a ski patroller and a member of SheJumps.