I am happy to see the wave of construction of high-density housing in Salt Lake City. With luck, this will mitigate the dash to the suburbs with its inevitable increase in commuting by car and consequent air quality deterioration.
I am also pleased by the determination to make some proportion of new housing capacity “affordable” by those with low and moderate incomes. This will not only decrease long-distance commuting, but will allow workers to have more time to spend with their families.
That said, many of the workers who stand to benefit from this effort have been determined to be essential during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, they are essential at all times.
A better solution would be to pay these workers what they are worth. For example, if the folks who keep your grocery store functioning are essential to you, they shouldn’t have to work two or three jobs to support their families.
Dana Carroll, Salt Lake City