So after years in the making, the policy will take a few weeks more to fix.

Councilman Eric Jergensen - a main architect of the policy along with council colleagues Nancy Saxton and Van Turner - acknowledged the flaws.

"We have worked extremely hard," Jergensen said. "What we have here tonight is a good start."

The policy outlines the goal of adding more housing and maintaining the existing housing stock so that the city preserves its status as having the largest population in the state, which brings money, clout and a healthy school system.

While the policy mentions the importance of affordable housing - defined as not consuming more than 30 percent of a resident's gross income - low-income-housing advocates say the policy falls short on that count. They complain it eliminates a requirement that developers replace unit for unit housing they tear down and that it overemphasizes housing for the well-off.

"Why would we use public money to build middle-income housing," asked Tara Rollins, executive director of the Utah Housing Coalition. "I find this policy very weak."

Claudia O'Grady of Multi-Ethnic Development Corp. suggests the policy outline specific targets, as other cities do. "Who are the people you want to attract to the city? How many housing units? . . . At what income targets?"

Another developer of affordable housing said the council wrongly assumes low-income projects harm neighborhoods. "We're doing good things here," said Gregory Hughes, who has developed new housing near 900 South and 200 West.

Saxton responded to the criticisms, saying the city's former policy named specific targets, but that meant "nothing" because they weren't followed.

"Salt Lake City has a huge commitment to affordable housing and subsidized housing. . . . At some point we need to express a commitment to single-family dwellings. We want all kinds of housing in all areas of the city."

hmay@sltrib.com